


Flung Out of Space

by PettiSmith



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora is basically a big puppy, Alien Character(s), Alien Planet, Blood and Injury, Canon Era, Canon Lesbian Relationship, Danger, F/F, Falling In Love, Fanart, Feelings, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Illustrations, Lesbian Adora (She-Ra), Lesbian Catra (She-Ra), Lesbian Sex, Lesbians in Space, Minor Original Character(s), Monsters, No Lesbians Die, Personal Growth, Science Fiction, Sex in Space, Sexual Tension, Smutty, Suspense, Violence, canon divergent in a way but also the endgame stays the same because it is perfect, catradora, not trying to fix what ain't broke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:40:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26993068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PettiSmith/pseuds/PettiSmith
Summary: Immediately following the events of S05E05 Save the Cat, Adora and Catra find themselves separated from the group, abruptly lost amongst stardust. With everything on the line, and a slim chance of survival, it's probably a good time to take some emotional risks, right?Plus, Aliens & Dogs.***New dangers, old feelings. Heat rises.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 98
Kudos: 325





	1. Caring & Countdowns

**Author's Note:**

> Kind of leaning toward sci-fi more than fantasy here but ultimately just a magnifying glass over the development of Catra and Adora's love and trust. This takes place mid-canon but does not necessarily disrupt the ultimate canon outcome! Because... why fix what isn't broken?

“ _Don’t._ ” Catra hissed through gritted teeth. She pushed Adora’s hand away from her shoulder and stared ahead at the spaceship’s blank steel walls, the muscle along her jawline clenched tight.

Adora took a half-step back. She was used to this particular brand of fearmongering from Catra. She knew it was a cover up, an exoskeleton, really. That didn’t make Catra’s cold behavior any less biting.

Last night, Catra died. Well, she would have, if Adora hadn’t saved her. The problem, or one of their many problems, was Catra couldn’t decide if Adora saved her or if She-Ra saved her. They are the same person, right? The body is different, not necessarily in a bad way, according to Catra’s very deeply buried desires, but the heart beats the same. Yet, Catra still shuddered to think of the 8-foot tall enemy warrior woman ultimately saving her life instead of _her Adora_.

For years, Catra tried to draw a barrier line between She-Ra and Adora. She could hate She-Ra—never Adora. But now, she didn’t know what to think. Or feel. It was a lot to adjust to, postmortem.

Adora tried, and failed, and tried again to tell Catra that _she_ was the one that went back for her. Yes, She-Ra ending up being a very necessary part of the process, but not the only part.

The facts remained, if it weren’t for She-Ra, Catra would be gone. And if it weren’t for Catra, She-Ra would be gone. And Adora would be left nursing two shattered femurs, thanks to her stupidly heroic jump from Horde Prime’s elevated throne.

Catra refused to accept those facts.

“I’m just trying to help, Catra.” Adora crossed her arms under her chest and puffed out a breath of air. “Why are you being such a stubborn brat?”

“Me?! Right, okay. But I’ve asked you to leave, uh, I don’t know, 1 million times already and you’re still in here? I think that qualifies as pretty fucking stubborn, Adora.” Catra bared her fangs and a ridge of fur along her tail stood on end.

Adora recognized those signals: Warnings.

“Listen. I don’t want to—” Adora considered her phrasing, she didn’t want to push Catra even further away than she had already retreated. “I’m not leaving. I just want to be near you. Nearby, I mean. I’ll be quiet, if you just let me stay. I don’t want to be alone…and I don’t want you to be alone.” She took a deep breath and steadied herself.

“You DIED last night, Catra. There’s a chip implanted in your neck that seems to be causing you immense pain.” Adora stopped to think, something icy dropping into her gut. “And…I guess I am causing you pain too? I’m such an idiot.” She squeezed her eyes shut, holding back a confusing sting of tears rushing to the rim, and quickly turned to leave Catra’s dark room.

“You finally got it, huh?” Catra mumbled under her breath, watching Adora disappear through the automatic doors.

She flexed a highly sensitive ear toward the exit, waiting to hear Adora’s footsteps reveal her distance. But they didn’t retreat far.

Adora leaned back against the cool outside wall of Catra’s room and slid down to the floor. Out of sight, but still close.

Catra stomped over to the locked threshold and mocked Adora’s exact actions on the reverse side of the wall, sliding down to sit with her back against the steel.

A weak sob escaped Adora’s chest. She raised her hands to her face and tried to muffle the uncontrollable sadness that was beginning to leak out. It was no use. Hot tears filled her palms and she quickly brushed them off on her chest. She bit down on the skin between her thumb and forefinger—a trick she had used to stop herself from crying as a cadet in the Horde.

Catra flattened her ears against her head as Adora’s cries violently crashed against her ear drums. She didn’t want to hear this. She got up from the wall and walked to the opposite corner of the room, her stomach twisting. 

An alarm sounded in Catra’s head: Let Adora in—into your room—into your life—into your heart. 

No, she thought. It’s too late.

Everything hurt, even Adora’s futile attempts at comfort. Maybe it always would. Or maybe she just needed space.

“Space.” Catra laughed to herself.

They were hurdling through the infinite abyss and Catra still wanted _more_ space. Typical.

*******

Adora woke with her lower back on fire and her neck screaming in pain. She didn’t mean to fall asleep sitting outside of Catra’s room. She actually hoped Catra would have let her back in.

Of course, that didn’t happen.

She hoisted herself up, glanced back at the firmly shut doors, and set off for the ship’s kitchen. The ship, lovingly referred to as Darla, had a pretty decent little kitchen, actually. Mara has left behind a few nonperishable goods and Bow had stocked it pretty nicely before their risky adventure into space. Better to rush headfirst toward danger with a full stomach.

Adora found the kitchen occupied when she arrived. Glimmer, Bow, Entrapta and Wrong Hordak crowded around a small table, devouring what looked like tiny wild berry muffins.

“Save any for me?” Adora brought a hand to her sore neck and attempted to stretch it out while approaching the table. The bones popped and cracked in a disgustingly satisfying manner.

“Nope!” Entrapta answered emphatically. “Well, we haven’t eaten all of them…but we did not save any for you, in particular.” She smiled, knowingly.

Adora narrowed an eye at her and laughed. The sound echoed around her aching head. Entrapta was funny and becoming funnier over time. Or maybe they were just finally starting to understand her.

“There are so many of these muffins, Adora. Seriously, Wrong Hordak will not stop baking.” Glimmer gestured to the counter behind her which was covered in pastries.

“I am delighted to provide nourishment for my beloved brothers.” Wrong Hordak bowed his head slightly.

“Hey… Is Catra, you know, ever going to eat? Just wondering. Does she eat? Oooh, does she feast on the fear of her enemies?” Bow giggled innocently.

He caught the frown being cast from around the table and apologized quickly. “I’m sorry, Adora. Sometimes I gotta laugh to keep from crying but…that was dumb. Pretend I never said that.”

“It’s okay, Bow. Seriously. _I’m_ the Princess of Putting Her Foot In Her Mouth. You don’t have anything on me.” Adora packed a plate with about 20 muffins and flashed a tired smile at the group.

“I’m going to try again. I have to. If you hear screams, Catra is feasting on my fear.” Adora winked at Bow.

Glimmer gave Adora’s arm a light squeeze and walked with her to the exit of the kitchen. 

“You know, for some of us, fear looks a lot like anger. For others, maybe it looks more like sadness…” She briefly raised an eyebrow at Adora. “I think Catra is afraid of what the past means for the future. And…maybe you are too? You’re just expressing it differently. Don’t give up, Adora. She hasn’t given up on you. Trust me.” Glimmer kissed Adora on the cheek and walked back to table.

*******

Adora stood outside of Catra’s room, bracing herself for rejection.

“Catra?” She knocked, hesitantly.

“Catra...I have food for you. You don’t have to talk to me, but you do have to eat. Just open up, please.”

She waited.

After a few painful seconds, the doors slid open with a woosh. Catra reached out for the plate and pulled it away from Adora. Despite her best efforts, their eyes locked during the hand-off. Adora looked exhausted. Her eyes were rimmed with swollen, raw redness. Catra’s heart felt like it was being squeezed in a vice. She hated it.

“Thanks. Bye.” She pushed the door’s lock feature and headed back to her bed.

Adora noticed a hint of fresh blood on the base of Catra’s neck, trickling down between her shoulder blades.

The doors slammed shut.

*******

As time ticked by, Adora continued unraveling, thread by thread. There was no way Catra could hole up in her room and sleep forever. She could hear her nightmares through the walls, and they were definitely getting worse, more unhinged. Adora could only imagine what that chip in Catra’s neck was doing to her. She didn’t know much about its functionality, but she knew it needed to go and, by the looks of it, Catra was foolishly working on taking it out herself.

Plus, Catra was still wearing the same sleepwear that they had given her on day one. Adora thought maybe a change of clothes would encourage Catra to get a little more comfortable, maybe she would even consider discussing the chip. Doubtful. But Catra always liked new outfits, something Adora truly did not understand.

There wasn’t much packed on Darla but Adora did have some extra compression shirts and leggings that might work for Catra. They’d be a little big, considering Catra was keen on wearing her clothes extremely tight, but it was worth a try.

Adora found herself lost in thought, the image of Catra’s lithe body flickering through her mind. As teens, Adora had failed only a handful of her training exercises and it was always because she couldn’t take her eyes off the way Catra moved so gracefully through the course. Even during recent battles, she had found herself lagging behind when Catra would show up in a new, updated uniform. And now, Adora couldn’t help but appreciate the amount of exposure Catra’s sleepwear allowed. She tried to shake the all-too-pleasant distraction from her head.

Back in her own room, Adora ditched her signature jacket, changed into a fresh uniform and prepared one for Catra—folding and unfolding the seemingly identical tops and leggings until they stacked perfectly. She puffed out her chest and readied herself for another tense encounter with her ex best friend.

*******

Catra was sick of her room, her cage. Everyone knew where to find her. Even Arrow-Boy had tried to check in on her. She was definitely not in the mood for his incessant perkiness, now or ever.

Catra grabbed the last mini muffin off her plate and slid out of her automatic doors, hoping to find a better hiding place in this massive space cruiser.

Lucky for Catra, stealth was her strong suit. She walked right by the bridge, completely unnoticed, stopping only to eavesdrop on Entrapta pleading with Sparkles for access to a bigger blow torch.

On the far end of the ship, she caught a glimpse of Adora in her own bunk room, busy folding clothes. Catra lingered at the edge of the entryway and watch Adora smooth the clothing into a perfect stack, proudly placing her hands on her hips when she was done.

“What a nerd.” Catra whispered to herself, a smile creeping across her lips. She shook it off. She wasn’t ready to smile. She moved on.

The tail of the ship was warm and buzzing. Catra immediately felt more comfortable there and set off to find a dark corner to hide out in.

A small set of doors opened into a compartment just big enough for 1, maybe 2, people max. There were buttons, knobs and controls covering most of the walls, with a big window at front. The view was beautiful, Catra begrudgingly admitted to herself. Deep space sprawled out before her.

There were two chairs in the center of the small room and Catra plopped down into one, pulling her legs up to her chest. She rested her forehead against her knees and sighed.

“Finally.” She breathed out, soaking up her peace and quiet.

“Um… Hi?” Adora whispered, standing awkwardly in the doorway.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Catra flew out of the chair, her tail bristled.

Adora’s cheeks immediately flushed beet red. She didn’t mean to follow Catra down here. But…she kind of did. Just as Adora had finished preparing Catra’s outfit, she caught a glimpse of her sneaking past her room. She was oddly excited by the prospect of Catra potentially spying on her, so she had moved quickly to follow Catra’s trail.

“I’m sorry for caring, Catra! Geez! You’re acting like I’m the enemy…still.” Adora hated that she needed to qualify that. “I wanted to bring you a change of clothes, that’s all.”

Adora stepped further into the small room and held out the uniform.

“Don’t want it. Don’t need it.” Catra crossed her arms and leaned back against the dash behind her.

The doors behind Adora closed shut with a loud, hollow slam. She dropped the uniform at her feet in shock.

“ _Airlock initiated.”_ A monotone woman’s voice echoed overhead.

“WHAT?” Adora and Catra questioned in unison.

“Um, no. Airlock unnecessary! Administrator here! AIRLOCK UNNECESSARY!” Adora yelled into the ceiling, as if the robotic voice belonged to a small woman that lived up there.

“Adora, what the fuck? Get those doors opened. Now.” Catra looked panicked, a hand shot up to her chipped neck.

“It’s not Darla. I don’t recognize this voice. I don’t know what I’m supposed to say?” Adora shrugged. “ETERNIA! GRAYSKULL! SHE-RA!”

“ _Emergency detected.”_ The voice responded, the room suddenly illuminating in a deep red hue.

Catra and Adora locked eyes, both peeled as wide as possible.

“Oh, no, no, no… NO EMERGENCY DETECTED. ABORT EMERGENCY.” Adora ran over to the controls and hovered her hands over the buttons.

“I don’t know what to push! What is this room anyway? I’ve never been in here. Why are there so many buttons? It’s like… a tiny bridge? It’s like…” Adora quickly scanned the room, her eyes darting from corner to corner. “THIS IS…A MINIATURE SHIP OR SOMETHING!?” Adora glanced back at Catra, who was seated on the floor, hugging her legs and rocking back and forth.

“ _Automated Escape Pod Activated. Jettison in 10…9…_ ” The voice began counting down. 

“FUCK.” Adora slammed her fists into a random sequence of controls but nothing worked.

She ran to the other wall of knobs and tried again. Her brain felt like hot lava in her skull. _Automated_ Escape Pod. This thing was pre-programmed and, now that it was activated, there was nothing she could do to change its function.

She looked back at Catra, who had her eyes squeezed shut and a palm pressed hard to her neck. Adora ran to the back of the pod, grabbed her from under her arms and hoisted her up. Catra was practically limp, no fight in her. That had Adora more worried than the anything.

“Please, Catra. We need to get into the seats. I can’t stop this thing, but I can try to make sure we live through this.” She buckled Catra in place.

“ _…2…1..._ ” The voice finished, just as Adora clipped her own restraints into the necessary clasps.

With a loud pop, the pod was sucked out into space. Darla disappeared into the void behind them.

“Adora.” Catra called out, her voice shaking.

“I’m here. It’s going to be…okay.” Adora tried to reassure Catra and herself, her eyes glued to the observation window as the stars blurred around them.

She instinctively reached out and grabbed Catra’s hand and squeezed it tight, expecting an immediate retraction.

To her surprise, Catra subtly returned the pressure.

Adora glanced over and forced a smile.

“…Okay.” Catra exhaled. “If you say so, Superhero.”

“I say so.” Adora said softly, hoping she sounded more convincing to Catra than she did to herself.

Adora repeated those words under her breath until everything went completely dark.


	2. Pods & Problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crash-landed on a distant planet, Catra and Adora wonder if a single ray of light in the darkness is enough.

Catra woke slowly. Her eyelids fought hard to remain shut, her mind and body struggling to connect through her newfound consciousness.

She licked her upper lip, pulling her tongue back into her mouth with the taste of liquid metal.

Blood.

She drew the front of her top up to her nose and wiped the rest of the fluid away. The material was already thick with crimson saturation. She’d never had a nosebleed before, but she’d also never crashed out of deep space either.

There’s a first time for everything.

Catra tried to fill her lungs but the air in the pod was incredibly thin, setting off an immediate alarm in her foggy brain. It was taking her way too long to get her mind right, a point of searing frustration for someone too stubborn to concede to the effects of a concussion.

The viewport in front of her was mostly obstructed by whatever sediment they had smashed into. A single sliver of light entered the cabin, allowing for Catra’s sharp eyes to take in her severely damaged surroundings. It was as if they were inside of a crunched-up tin can.

“Hey…Adora?” Catra craned her stiff neck toward the seat beside her. Adora sat slumped over with her chin to her chest. 

“Adora! Wake up!” Catra called out in the darkness.

Nothing.

Catra rushed to free herself from her seatbelt but the control of her limbs was even slower to return than her mental faculties. She clumsily felt around beneath the cloth straps of the belts and found her body tender and burned from the belt’s friction. Everything felt raw even with the added benefit of a thin layer of fur protecting her. She couldn’t imagine what shape Adora would be in. The worry was the motivation she needed to finally find the security closure and unsnap herself.

She tumbled from her seat.

“Shit.” She cursed under her breath, embarrassed, despite the lack of audience. Being uncoordinated was new. Catra was becoming more and more frustrated by these foreign hindrances.

She crawled on her hands and knees toward a still very unconscious Adora, noting that her chest was rising and falling in a reliable rhythm. A sign of life was enough to cool a few of the embers burning in Catra’s gut.

Adora’s body was bound tightly by the seatbelt straps and Catra could see a few bruises blooming around her neck from the impact. She was sure it was worse beneath her top. Catra brought her fingers up to the bruised area on Adora's throat and swept the surface carefully. Her skin was warm and soft. Catra pulled her fingers away quickly, as if burned by the discovery.

“Adora…” Still perched on the floor, Catra brought her hands to Adora’s knees and gently shook them, staring up into Adora’s colorless face.

Adora was always strong. She was never even sick when they were growing up together. Seeing her so helpless now was shocking, nauseating even. But, still, Catra wasn’t ready to forgive and forget everything that happened between them. She was, beneath this current situation, still processing her anger towards Adora. But she could press pause.

Right now, she needed Adora to open her eyes.

She was hesitant to unbuckle Adora, seeing as how she had fallen out of her own seat. She wasn’t sure what sort of injuries Adora had sustained and the risk of furthering them was too great.

Feeling, yet again, frustrated by the obstacles, Catra did the only thing she could think of: She carefully took Adora’s hands into her own and started massaging her palms, pressing hard into Adora’s flesh with her thumbs. Back in the Fright Zone, when they would lay in their bunk together at night, they would take turns doing this to each other—touching in all the ways they could find justification for. Catra shivered, the memory creeping under her skin, but she continued.

After a few minutes, Adora’s breathing became more rapid and a ragged cough found its way out of her lungs. She blinked open her stormy grey eyes, her eyebrows furrowed in pained confusion.

Catra quickly dropped her hands back to her lap. “Oh. Good. You’re up.”

She crawled back to her own chair and pulled herself back into it.

“Wha…What happened?” Adora’s voice was low and rough. “Catra?”

“We crashed, obviously. I don’t know anything else. I woke up just as confused as you. And really fucking sore too.” Catra rubbed her ribs.

“Right. Okay…” Adora reached down to unbuckle her belt.

“No! Wait—” Catra tried to stop Adora before she made the same mistake she did. But Adora was too quick to finesse the clasp.

THUD.

Adora was sprawled out on the floor and groaning.

“UGH. What the heck?” She tucked into herself, her muscles and bones protesting every movement.

“I don’t know how long we’ve been knocked out and, honestly, I don’t know what position this pod landed in. Doesn’t seem like we’re on even ground. So, yeah, try to take things slow, Princess.” Catra’s signature condescending tone was back.

“Give me a break. Didn’t you fall too?” Adora wheezed, still tending to her aches and pains while processing.

“Nope.” Catra lied.

“Okay, sure. Whatever you say.” She shook her head. “I can’t even see anything, it’s so dark in here.” Adora moved to her knees, wincing through the discomfort.

She began tentatively feeling her way around the pod.

Catra was quick to reinforce her usual sardonic attitude, “Aww, it must be hard to be so inferior. So human. Guess I’ll be our eyes. And ears. And…”

“I get it, Catra.” Adora sighed. “Can you cut me some slack though? We want to get out of here, right? We’ll need to work together.”

Awkward silence filled their confine. Catra knew Adora was right. She didn’t want to bicker forever. But…she really had missed the way they used to banter. Even know, it felt good just to have this.

“Pathetic.” Catra muttered under her breath, realizing she was a little too happy to be trapped here with Adora.

“Huh?” Adora continued crawling around the floor. “Did you say something?”

“Uh… No. Just your weak ears acting up, I guess.” Catra rushed to move on. “Anyway, this place is totally wrecked. I’ve already scoped it out. You can stop crawling around. None of the tech seems to have survived.”

“Yeah, I’m getting that. But I’m actually looking for space suits, thanks.” Adora huffed, still trying to wrap her head around everything. “We don’t know what this planet is like or if the air is breathable, right? I’m just…”

Suddenly Adora bumped right up against Catra, her hands groping up Catra’s legs, feeling their way through the darkness.

“Um! Yeah, I’m not a space suit!” Catra recoiled her legs in shock.

“Oops!” An uneasy laugh escaped Adora’s throat. “Sorry! Why don’t you help me look then, with that ‘super-sight’ or whatever?”

They both felt their way around the pod and came up unsatisfied. Not a single suit, oxygen tank or breathing apparatus. Catra scrounged up a few old rags from under her seat and Adora managed to uncover a small backpack containing a couple ration bars and a handful of electrolyte gels from a storage box under the dash. That was the most of it.

“Well, this is just great. So glad I lived to die another day… Do you think we’ll starve to death or run out of oxygen first?” Catra sat down on the floor and crossed her legs.

“Why are you like that? Is the point to make you feel better or make the person you’re talking to feel worse?” Adora sat down across from Catra and glared at her, even though she could hardly make out her face.

“Both.” Catra shrugged.

“Awesome. I don’t know why I thought it would be different now. I thought… I don’t know what I thought.” Adora tugged awkwardly on the sleeve of her shirt.

“I don’t know what you thought either. But I bet you’re thinking you should have left me on Horde Prime’s ship right about now.” Catra growled.

As soon as his name left Catra’s mouth, the chip on her neck sent a lightning storm of electric heat down her spine, eliciting a series of whimpers. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she was involuntarily laid out flat on the floor with a loud thunk.

“Catra!?” Adora called through the shadows, scrambling over to Catra’s side. “No, no, no…” She scooped Catra into her arms and pushed her fringe off her forehead. “Come on, Catra… Come back…”

And just as quickly as it started, it was over. Catra looked up at Adora, still cradled in her arms. She tried to frown the fear off her face.

“Adora. He’s looking for me...for us.” Catra briefly tucked her head against Adora’s chest.

“Well, he’s not going to find anything. We’re getting out of this pod, this planet, this…whatever, and going home. I promised, right?” Adora spoke softly, still rocking Catra against her.

“Yep. Okay, Superhero.” Catra pulled away from Adora, the disgust at her own vulnerability coursing through her veins.

She stood up defiantly and moved across the room, rubbing the back of her neck and flicking her tail behind her.

Adora stayed in place, dumbfounded, as if whiplash from the crash wasn’t enough, now she had to deal with Catra’s moods.

Silence hung in the air.

Catra extended and retracted her claws, out of habit. Adora chewed the insides of her cheeks, forcing herself to give Catra the silent treatment for as long as possible. She knew it wouldn’t last long.

“Can I ask you something?” Adora finally spoke.

“Maybe.” Catra responded immediately, almost too eagerly.

“Glimmer said that you saved her…for me. What does that even mean?” She went back to chewing her cheeks.

More silence.

“Ugh, I don’t know, Adora.” Catra sighed. She wasn’t ready to go there yet. “What do you think it means?”

Reflexively, Adora blurted out, “I don’t know…that you like me?” She laughed.

Catra’s face felt hot and she was sure she was blushing. She was thankful for the lack of visibility in the cabin.

“Ha-Ha. It was _not_ because I like you.” Catra smiled and threw one of the recently discovered soft cotton rags Adora.

Adora picked up the cloth and examined it in her hands.

“Hey… this is isn’t a rag. It’s the outfit I was bringing to you when, well…blast off.” She tossed it back at Catra.

“Oh? You want me to wear your baggy clothes, huh?” Catra stood up and stepped into the single beam of light and held the shirt up to her torso. “I guess my top is, uh, covered in blood actually so…”

“WHAT!?” Adora shot up from the floor and felt her way over to Catra.

“I had a nosebleed. No big deal. But I guess it was a while before I woke up, so it really got me good.” Catra rubbed her chest, the fabric beneath her hands stiff with dried blood.

“Give me that.” Adora started tugging at Catra’s bloody top. “You gotta put on these clean clothes.” She slipped the old sleepwear up and over Catra’s head.

“Adora…” Catra looked up at Adora through the dim light.

Adora froze. She hadn’t thought this through. She just couldn’t stand the thought of Catra wearing her own blood and now… There she was, an inch away from a very topless Catra. She dropped Catra’s old shirt on the floor, her eyes darting around the silhouette of Catra’s body.

“Wow. Uh. I mean, shoot. I’m, um, sorry. I’m such an idiot.” She stepped back, stumbling over herself in the process.

“Yeah…” Catra could feel Adora’s eyes on her, despite her apology, and she _liked_ it. She drank up the feeling, whatever it was.

Adora finally forced herself to turn around. “Okay. You can, um, finish changing. I turned around.”

“Don’t.” Catra spoke quietly.

“Don’t…” Adora repeated, confused.

“You…don’t have to turn around.” Catra felt like her heart was in her throat.

Adora gulped and bit down on her lip. She turned around slowly and stepped in a little closer without a word.

Catra slid off her pants on and began redressing in her new clothes. She stood in the beam of light; a faint outline of her curves just visible.

Adora held her breath, sure that whatever was happening between them would be ripped away from her if she so much as blinked wrong.

When Catra was finished, she leaned back against the dash and cocked her head toward Adora. She didn’t know what came next. Every inch of her body was _vibrating._

Suddenly, a monotone beeping noise filled the pod.

“What is that?!” Catra glanced around nervously, trying to shake the current lustful haze from her mind.

Adora felt down to her wrist. “My watch! Agh. It’s programmed to track my vitals and stuff. It’s, like, for exercise. Bow designed it.”

Adora shrugged, wishing her watch would just disappear into thin air.

“So… the beeping though?” Catra was still confused, verging on angry.

“Oh.” Adora slapped her right hand over her watch. “It’s nothing.” She moved her arm behind her back.

Catra lunged forward and wrestled Adora’s wrist out from its hiding place.

“ _Abnormal Heart Rate. Deescalate Activity Immediately_.” Catra read aloud as the words scrolled across the screen.

A grin slowly spread across Catra's face.

“Oh… you alright there, Adora?” She teased, tapping her fingers on the center of Adora’s chest.

“Shut up. It malfunctions all the time. It’s got all of these crazy features; it can’t get everything right.” Adora attempted to divert the attention from her embarrassment.

“Wait. Adora… What crazy features?” Catra reluctantly dropped her taunting. “Can it communicate with your friends?! Or like…” She scratched behind her ear. “I don’t know…read atmospheric pressure or something?!”

Catra brought Adora’s wrist up to her face to inspect the item in question.

“It doesn’t have communication access anymore. Glimmer said I was using it ‘inappropriately’ and revoked my privileges. It’s her fault for showing me what prank calls are.” Adora pouted. “OH! But it can report basic environmental stats!”

She ripped her wrist away from Catra and began fiddling with the interface.

“So glad it took you this long to remember…” Catra rolled her eyes.

Adora tapped through a cycle of functions, a series of beeps following her fingers.

“Catra… We can breathe the air here! We can get out of the pod!” Adora yelled.

“I’m standing right here; you don’t need to yell. And we still don’t know how to get out…Or what’s even out there.”

Yes, Catra was anxious to get out of the tiny pod but the timing felt horribly unfair. Maybe they should just stay a little longer, for good measure, she thought.

“Oh, I’ll get us out.” Adora puffed out her chest and readied her stance. “FOR THE HONOR OF GRAY—”

Catra grabbed Adora’s wrist and cut her off short.

“Adora. Can we try to do this alone? Just us? I’m…not ready to see She-Ra again.” She held her hand up to her chip. It felt hot under her fingertips.

“Oh…” Adora furrowed her brows, a little shocked and hurt by Catra’s associated fear. “Uh, yeah, I guess so.”

She followed Catra to the air-locked doors and began tugging at the closure.

Catra watched her valiantly struggle for a minute before she extended her nails and sliced clean through the titanium structure.

Hot sand poured in up to their knees and the pod was quickly illuminated with oppressive light that knocked them both back.

“Dammit!” Catra shielded her eyes from the fiery brightness, hissing at the sudden onslaught.

Adora eased through the sand and peered out of the opening, still squinting to adjust.

When she finally acclimated, she looked out in all directions, hoping to see something other than…sand.

Sand. Sand. And more sand.

Catra finally waded forward to join her at the exit, peeking out from slotted lids.

“Fuck.” They said in harmony.

“Fuck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I have named this chapter "Crashes & Crushes"? Probably!


	3. Doomed & Deserted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra and Adora wander the desert, thirsty for more than just water.

Adora wrapped her hand around the edge of the pod to hoist herself out into the daylight. Burning steal sizzled under her flesh.

She grabbed her scorched fingers in her other hand and glanced back at Catra. 

“Uh. It’s hot.” She frowned, pouting her lips dramatically.

“No, shit.” A small, slightly sympathetic laugh escaped as Catra stole Adora’s hand away from her to assess the damage. “I think you’ll live.”

“Well, at least I know you care.” Adora smiled, still trying to wrap her head around whatever just happened between them inside of the pod. 

Adora wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to shake the image of Catra undressing _for her_ from the forefront of her mind. Was that really what happened? Maybe the crash-landing had really fried her brain. 

“Right now, I care that we are marooned on The Land of Endless Sand.” Catra rolled her eyes, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. 

Catra pulled her legs through the thigh-high sand and eased herself out of the pod doors and into their new environment.

Every direction was equal parts sand and sky. Catra prowled in a small circle around the pod, cautiously inspecting the horizon line. As far as the eye could see, monotonous nothingness.

Adora dug through the sand that had poured into the pod and recovered the very few items they had found on board: a backpack, a couple rations and a few electrolyte gels. She tried not to feel immediately defeated by the fact that, between the two of them, these things wouldn’t last long.

She slung the backpack over her shoulder and trudged her way outside to find Catra.

“This…can’t be it.” She huffed, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her sleeve.

“Oh, it can be. And it is.” Catra let her head fall back, eyes closed, her face turned up to the sky. Her tail hung listlessly behind her.

She seemed keen on giving up already. 

Adora felt an overwhelming desire to grab Catra’s hand again, like she had before they jettisoned into space. But she thought better of it. Possibly scaring Catra away in the middle of a desert was not a risk she was willing to take.

“Point in any direction and we’ll just start walking. That’s all we can do.” Adora tried to sound encouraging but not ignorant.

Catra raised a limp arm and half-heartedly pointed away from the sun.

They set off in tense silence.

*******

It’s nearly impossible to tell time on a foreign planet. Adora was wearing a watch set for Etherian day cycles. So, it really didn’t matter what time her watch claimed it was. They had no way of knowing when the sun would set. Or if it even would. 

The quiet grew increasing loud between them. Adora tried to occupy her mind by counting their steps. She lost track after she reached six-hundred-and-sixty-six, breaking her concentration to alert Catra that they had hit her favorite number. 

“Cool.” Catra mumbled. “Let me know if any other breaking news occurs.”

Adora knitted her brows together. “You know what, _Catra_ …”

She readied herself to give Catra a piece of her mind just as a spot of greenery caught her eye.

“…I actually do have breaking news.” She pointed to a tiny plant poking out of the sand and ran over for a closer look.

“This is a good sign, right?! If this plant can survive here, maybe other things can too! Animals or people or… more plants?” Adora was staring down at the small spiked mass as if it were her only beacon of hope.

She bent down and brought her hand just above the surface.

Catra appeared beside her in a flash, smacking her hand away from the item in question.

“Vicious animals, hostile people, and _potentially poisonous plants_ …” Catra started checking off the ways in which everything Adora was hoping for could potentially be a negative.

“I wasn’t going to touch it! Geez. Does everything have to be fatal with you? What are you hoping happens here? We just walk until we die? Are you already considering eating my corpse to sustain yourself?”

Adora stood up and held out her arms as if welcoming Catra to her body.

Catra seized the opportunity to run her eyes around Adora’s toned form. The white cotton of Adora’s shirt clung to her damp skin, highlighting every curve and cut of toned muscle. Catra noticed that the bruises around Adora’s neck were already less dark and nebulous. Must be a Princess thing, she thought.

She tried to focus. “So, you’re admitting you’d be the first to die?”

“No! Definitely not!” Adora pushed Catra’s shoulder, playfully. “But actually, you are looking hungry... I wouldn’t put it past you to want to sink your teeth into me!”

Adora noticed Catra’s eyes grow wider. She blushed through her already warm cheeks as she belatedly realized her comments possible implications. She really was the Princess of Putting Her Foot In Her Mouth.

“Let’s, um, keep walking. We can look for more potentially poisonous plants.” Catra hurriedly switched to the task at hand, her sensitive ears picking up Adora’s quickened pulse.

*******

The sun shifted lower in the sky at a tauntingly slow pace. Catra and Adora watched their shadows stretch out in front of them, thankful for even the slightest relief from the high heat of the day, although it wasn't much to write home about. 

Adora relaxed her pace and shifted her backpack in front of her, taking out two electrolyte gels.

She passed one to Catra.

“I think we should sip on these. I’m actually starting to feel kind of dizzy.” Adora ripped open the gel pack and wrapped her lips around the split, rejoicing in the cool secretion that covered her tongue.

“Yeah, well, a stroll through Crimson Waste 2.0, immediately following a concussion, will do that to ya.” Catra tore open her source of hydration and licked deliberately at the gel oozing from the tear.

Adora watched Catra lap up the run-off and felt a familiar swirling heat build in her abdomen and travel between her legs. She couldn’t put a name to the sensation, but she associated it with Catra, and only Catra, for as long as she could remember.

She busied herself with the backpack zipper to regain her composure, trying desperately to extinguish the flames flickering around inside of her. But it was no use. She was hot from the inside out. Uncomfortably so.

With a singular motion, Adora pulled her compression shirt over her head and shoved it into the backpack.

Catra paused, eyes wide, her tongue still half out of her mouth and pressed to the gel.

“What? I can’t handle it anymore. My sweat is sweating.” Adora adjusted the elastic of her sports bra under her chest and straightened the straps on her shoulders. “Get over it.”

Catra gulped loudly, taking in Adora’s glistening skin. A few burns and bruises remained but nothing too bad.

“Some of us also have a layer of fur to deal with on top of everything, ya know?” She rubbed her hands up the fuzz on her arms.

Adora held open the backpack toward Catra, eyebrows raised.

“By all means…” She shook the bag at Catra and glanced down at her top, indicating for its removal.

“Make up your mind, Adora. Do you want me to wear your stupid clothes or not?” Catra cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “Pretty sure you know I’m not wearing anything under this shirt anyway, dummy.”

“Oh. Right.” Adora laughed awkwardly. She definitely remembered. Too well.

Catra sighed. “But I am pretty fucking miserable so…”

She extended a single sharp nail and ripped the sleeves off her shirt, tossing the scraps into Adora’s bag. Carefully, she poked a claw back into the material, just below the center of her chest, and sliced it all the way around.

She stepped out of the ring of fabric and tossed it at Adora, smacking her in the face with the shirt's remainder.

“Thanks.” Adora rolled her eyes, shoving the wad into the bag. “I think Bow would be very proud of your new look.”

She knew that would sting Catra and she couldn’t resist.

“Oh, fantastic. Arrow Boy is my style icon.” Catra spun in a circle, showing off her custom outfit.

“You look…” Adora started.

“Hmmm? I look…? What? What do I look like?” Catra held Adora’s stare, still smug as ever.

Adora wasn’t sure how to save herself from the moment. She hated that Catra always seemed to read her mind. Well, she wished she hated it.

Adora’s eyes ran the length of Catra’s body but before she could embarrass herself any further Catra interjected

“Hey! What is that?” Catra pointed behind Adora.

Adora was shocked but the sudden and welcomed change of topic. She spun around and squinted into the distance.

“I can’t really see anything…” Adora shrugged.

“It looks like a town…I think.” Catra’s eyes were sharp but the heat was creating a disorienting vapor wave that distorted her view.

Adora trusted that if Catra saw something, then something was there. She slung the backpack over her shoulder and started to jog in blind faith. “Come on! Maybe someone there can help us get back!”

*******

Rubble. Destruction. Desolation. The entire village was an eerie ghost town. Not a soul moved between the broken clay structures.

Catra was bent over, her hands on her knees, as she tried to catch her breath. She scanned the scene before her.

The hot air hung heavy with leftover turmoil.

Adora walked ahead of her, a hand gripping her side, hoping to alleviate the stitch she was feeling creep in.

The small village was completely destroyed. The humble buildings were obliterated, the remains all singed with soot and smeared with blood: the signs of warfare at every corner. Adora peered over the wreckage, taking in the clues. She was sure it was never the site of bustling metropolis, but it looked like it held its own at one point in time. Now, she feared the inhabitants were not just run out of town but worse—extinguished.

“Adora. Stop.” Catra caught up to her, placing a hand on Adora’s shoulder.

“If you keep poking through this stuff, you’re going to find things that…can’t be unfound.” Catra shivered, her chip humming faintly on her neck.

Adora dropped to her knees and shoved her fists into the sand.

“This was him. Prime. I know it.” Adora growled, pounding her hands against the ground again.

Catra slammed her eyes shut and tried to focus on Adora’s voice. Not Prime. Not him. Whenever his name stayed in her brain for too long, he’d take advantage of the access—peering through her eyes for as long as he could force the intrusion. She couldn’t let that happen.

“Listen.” Catra spoke through gritted teeth. “We need to find a shelter and rest for the night. We can’t save this place. It’s too late. We need to figure our own shit out now.”

Adora tilted her face up to Catra, who had moved to stand in front of her. The front strands of Adora’s hair fell loose from its usual tidy ponytail. She moved the pieces out of her face and nodded once at Catra.

“Yeah. I know.” She stood up and brushed the sand off her knees. “We need to get back to Etheria, Catra. This can’t happen there. I won’t let it.”

Catra pressed her lips into a thin line. “Obviously. One thing at a time though, Superhero. First, shelter.”

Catra turned and trudged through the town, hunting for a semi-acceptable accommodation for the night. The sun was steadily sinking and the sooner they were set up the better.

In the center of the village, Catra spotted a lone pillar and scaled it quickly to gain a higher vantage point. She perched at the top of the fixture, crouched on her haunches and began her search for a building with a roof.

Adora watched Catra work. She wasn’t surprised to see how adept Catra was at climbing a seemingly smooth column. No holds, no divots. She had always been incredibly agile. Adora was more of a brute force, punch your feelings out, kind of warrior. 

But that didn’t stop her from trying.

A few paces from Catra’s column was a decimated sculpture that would offer Adora an almost equally high point of view. She slid off her backpack, rested it at the base of the edifice and began her ascension, ready to assist Catra in the survey. Her grip was less sure than it typically would have been, exhausted and still recovering from the trauma of the crash, but she pressed on.

Just as Catra spotted a mostly intact small home capable of housing them for the night, Adora reached for the last hold on the sculpture. Her contact was clumsy, and her sweaty hands scrambled to gain the necessary grip to hoist her body up. The sand covered clay slipped roughly through her fingers—each one lashing out in a desperate attempt to save her fate. Nothing connected.

The last thing Adora heard before her back collided with the ground was Catra calling out her name.

Catra dismounted her pillar in one fluid jump and rushed to Adora’s side, just as the dust settled.

“Adora! What the hell!” Catra brushed the sand off Adora as best she could, the particles sticking stubbornly to her sweat covered skin.

“UGH.” Adora groaned and scrunched her face. “That was stupid.”

Catra let out a small uncomfortable laugh. “Um, yeah. You can say that again.”

“That was stupid.” Adora smiled up at Catra through searing pain.

Her left arm felt like it was simultaneously being shoved into ice and fire.

“Hilarious.” Catra breathed out, slightly relieved that Adora had the mental capacity to make a joke, a bad one, but still a joke.

Her eyes darted down and quickly away from Adora’s arm.

Adora sat up slowly. Her head was throbbing, but nothing compared to the deep ache radiating in her arm. She looked down and winced at the sight of her disfigurement. The arm was still attached, the bone still in the skin, but the angle was all wrong. Her elbow was twisted and bent in the opposite direction. She swallowed down a rush of queasy energy.

Catra filled her chest with air, pumping herself up to rise to the occasion, making the conscious effort to choose fight over flight, to help not hurt.

She jogged over to the backpack and pulled out the scraps left over from her shirt.

“We’ll make a sling.” She jogged back over to Adora with the gear, already stretching out the fabric and knotting it in the appropriate places.

“Okay...” Adora straightened her back and bit down on her lip. She was used to intense pain, usually at the hands of Catra. If she could just transform into She-Ra, she would up heal with the action. But Catra had asked her to keep She-Ra at bay and she wanted to respect that. Plus, Adora couldn’t deny seeing the affectionate and caring side of Catra helped counter the pain.

Catra worked carefully, tying the material around Adora’s arm and affixing it to her core.

“I think that will help.” She tucked a stubborn piece of Adora’s wild hair behind her ear and half-heartedly smiled.

Adora grimaced, a shockwave of discomfort shooting through her elbow as it adjusted to the new position.

Catra pulled her hand away from Adora’s hair, positive that Adora’s reaction had something to do with her excessive contact.

“So, can you walk? I found a place for us.” Catra stood up quickly, avoiding eye contact with Adora.

“Um, yeah, I don’t typically use my arms to walk.” Adora laughed, eyeing Catra, confused by the fleeting moment.

Catra remained a few paces ahead of Adora for the entire trek to their encampment. She couldn’t bear to look at Adora in so much agony, especially when it seemed like Adora didn’t respond well to her help. Her assumed failure sunk like a lead balloon in her gut and festered into anger.

When they finally reached the home, Catra forced herself to turn back toward Adora. She was pale and winded, a smile twisted at the corners of her lips.

Catra ground her teeth together.

“Cool! We made it.” Adora was a horrible actress and she certainly would not win any awards for feigning positivity in their dire situation.

“Yeah…Let me go in first though. It might not be safe.” Catra slid through the open doorway and disappeared.

As she expected, the inside of the structure was mostly ransacked. It went beyond the average looting though, with smears of blood and rough tears through all of the remaining furniture. Catra was accosted with a scent she was unfamiliar with—something beyond animalistic, something…terrible. The scent was fairly stale so Catra relaxed into the belief that the creature was long gone, but she made sure to catalogue the stench in her memory.

There was a single cot and a couple tattered, hooded robes in the main room. The robes would suffice as blankets, but they would have to share the bed. Just like old times.

Catra continued to walk through the rooms. A few picture frames were shattered on the floor, she walked around the glass carefully, trying not to notice the family’s faces in the photos.

By the time Catra found her way to the kitchen, she was sure that war had indeed ripped the home apart but something else had finished the job. She thought about Adora standing outside alone and nausea flooded her gut. She didn’t think Adora would pick up on the animal evidence and she wasn’t sure if she should tell her yet and freak her out. She’d keep that to herself for now, not a problem for someone hellbent on building walls.

“Adora, you can come in. Just watch out for broken glass and try not to break another bone or something.” Catra called out through the doorway, keeping her voice level despite her mounting internal panic.

“Thanks, I’ll try.” Adora shot back, finding her way to Catra through the house.

The kitchen was almost entirely empty, albeit it for 2 small jugs of water shoved to the back of the lowest cabinet. Catra uncapped a container and waited for Adora to show up, her ears trained to the sound of her boots stomping through the hallways.

“Home sweet home.” Adora peeked around the corner and waved.

“Yeah, home is where the heart is or whatever.” Catra wasn’t even sure what that meant, but it was just some stupid cliché she’d heard before, so it rolled out of her mouth unguided.

She passed Adora the jug of water and instructed her to drink up. She was thirsty too, and starving, but she was desperate to get some color back into Adora’s cheeks, first and foremost. She pulled a ration bar from the backpack she was now in charge of and shoved it into Adora’s hand.

“Eat this whole thing.” Catra commanded, a slight growl vibrating behind her words.

“Yes, sir.” Adora smirked, wiping the excess water away from her mouth.

“What?” Catra narrowed her eyes at Adora.

“Nothing…” Adora bit into the ration bar and spun around to find the bedroom, leaving Catra to follow.

Catra sighed and set off behind her.

Adora sat down roughly on the cot and swallowed her sustenance down.

“You know how you woke me up? In the pod?” Adora risked a glance in Catra’s direction.

Catra walked across the room and sat beside her. “Um, yeah. I kinda just shook your legs until you opened your eyes. What about it?”

“No. That’s not it. You were doing that thing, rubbing my hands… We used to do that in our bunk.” Adora shifted her eyes from Catra back to her lap, adjusting her sling in the process.

“Oh. That. Didn’t think you were conscious yet.” Catra pressed her nails into the cot, trying to calm her embarrassment. “I didn’t know what else to do. I’m surprised you even remember that we used to do that.”

“Of course, I remember.” Adora laid back onto the bed and held her uninjured hand out, palm up, hesitantly. “Will you…do that again? I think it will help me calm down, maybe even sleep.”

Catra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It hurt to jump back into old routines with Adora, but it hurt more not to. She wasn’t sure if that made sense.

“Yeah, okay.” She laid down beside Adora and took her hand into her own, softly pressing her thumbs down into Adora’s soft skin.

Adora’s eyelashes swept the top of her cheeks and settled. Catra watched her breathing slow as the tension in her hand dissipated.

“Goodnight, Adora.” Catra whispered, finally letting herself relax, if only for a minute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something's gotta give between them soon... Very soon. :)


	4. Heart & Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the space crew worries about how they are ever going to find their long-lost friends, Catra and Adora are actually *very pleased* that they haven't figured it out just yet.

“Why aren’t we able to track a piece of our own ship? I still don’t get it!” Glimmer stomped around Darla’s command deck, shooting a vicious glare between Bow and Entrapta.

“Glimmer…” Bow approached her carefully, placing a strong, wide hand on her forearm. “We’re trying our best to find them. We’ve all been awake from a long time. Maybe you should get some rest?”

Glimmer growled at Bow, shaking her head back and forth. His statement rang true, but she was in no place to hear it.

They hadn’t slept since the pod ejected from Darla nearly 48 hours ago. Time was simultaneously slipping through their fingers and at a stand-still. Entrapta and Bow busied themselves with the many complex tech features onboard, desperate for any clues pointing toward Catra and Adora’s whereabouts. Glimmer brooded and Wrong-Hordak cooked.

Everyone was hanging by a thread, a dangerous state for such close confinements.

The ship’s alarm system had notified them of the pod’s emergency departure at the moment of jettison but, other than Darla’s matter-of-fact notification, they were unable to turn up any valuable information.

Tension and tech buzzed around the ship for a short eternity before Entrapta finally slid out from beneath the mainframe.

“A-ha!” Entrapta’s massive purple pigtails shot up into the air, the ends fanning out like fingertips. “The pod is impossible to trace by our ship! We’ll never attain their coordinates through Darla’s intelligence. It’s a protective measure and…it’s amazing!” She all but cooed, petting Darla’s dash with the end of a single pigtail.

“It’s…AMAZING!?” Glimmer huffed. “Want to rephrase that, Entrapta?”

“Yes. Yes, I do. It is a very advanced feature but also a very unfortunate one, in our present situation.” Entrapta shrugged. “Basically, the pod operates through its own artificial intelligence, completely separate from Darla's. The First Ones must have designed this safety feature to prevent potential tracking in case of the mothership being hijacked.”

“So, like…if _space pirates_ boarded the ship, the untraceable pod would be the only chance of a getaway!” Bow’s eyes sparkled, seemingly distracted from the crisis at-hand by the idea of space pirates.

“Bow. Snap out of it.” Glimmer snapped her fingers in front of Bow’s face.

“Sorry.” Bow wrinkled his nose. “We will find another way. We will.”

Bow wrapped an arm around Glimmer and pulled her in tightly. “You too, Entrapta and Wrong-Hordak. Get in on this.”

The crew crowded around Bow and fell into an exhausted group hug—too tired to do anything but cling to each other.

“I do need to sleep. You were…right.” Glimmer mumbled to Bow through Entrapta’s hair. 

“We all do.” Bow nodded, releasing his grip around everyone.

“Tonight, sleep…Tomorrow, science!” Entrapta, leading the charge, swept down the hall toward the bunk room on the ends of her hair. 

*******

Adora’s eyes peeled open, coming to focus on the frayed roof above her.

She quickly pieced together her surroundings: the pain radiating in her left arm, the dismal room lit only by one of the planet’s moons, and Catra crying beside her.

_Catra crying beside her._ Of all the things amiss in her present situation, that was certainly the most jarring. 

Adora turned over onto her side quickly, wincing with the adjustment, and draped her good arm over Catra. Hesitantly, she pulled her back towards her.

“Catra.” She whispered against Catra’s neck, her chip glowing green through the ends of her short, choppy hair.

Catra’s eyes remained slammed shut, tears escaping slowly through tight lids.

“Hey, Catra…” Adora pressed her chest up against Catra’s back, wrapping her arm more securely around her. “Come on. Wake up.”

She reached up and moved Catra’s damp hair off her forehead and squeezed in closer, moving her hand down to rest on Catra’s heart. 

Catra woke with a start, a whimper sucked from her lungs.

Her eyes darted around the room and settled on the strong hand laid across her chest.

Adora retracted her arm as quickly as she could when she realized Catra was fully awake, but it wasn’t soon enough.

“What do you think you’re doing!?” Catra wiped the tears from her cheeks and remained facing away from Adora.

“I just thought you were having a bad dream and…I thought I could help if…” Adora trailed off, feeling the icy blockade building between them. She scooted back in the bed, agony surging in her elbow with each movement.

“A bad dream?” Catra let out a short, sick, twisted laugh. “I’m living in a waking nightmare. Nothing changes when I sleep. It’s all a bad dream, Adora.” She rubbed her chip angrily, scratching the flesh around it with her sharp nails.

Blood immediately rushed to the surface behind each drag.

“Stop that!” Adora reached out and knocked Catra’s hand away from the area.

Catra spun around on the mattress to face Adora.

“ _You_ don’t get to tell me what to do! This chip is trying hard enough to control me!” Catra growled, her teeth glinting in the minimal light.

Adora stared at her dangerous fangs, wishing she were afraid instead of overwhelmed by the power behind them.

“I don’t like seeing you hurt yourself. Does that make me a monster?” Adora sputtered out.

“You’re usually the one hurting me so… YEAH.” Catra narrowed her eyes at Adora, watching her face contort as she took in Catra’s harsh words.

“That’s so…so _fucking_ unfair, Catra! You know I don't want to hurt you! But I need you to let me in! You’re making this harder than it has to be.”

Adora felt her blood boiling beneath the surface. Catra was so decided on Adora’s motives that it didn’t matter what she did—Catra would never trust her.

Catra threw off the ratty robe they had covered themselves with and flung her legs over the side of the cot.

“When the sun rises, we’re finding a way off this hellhole and then we can get as far away from each other as possible. For good.” Catra stood up and walked toward the doorway.

“Where are you going!?” Adora worked her way to the edge of the bed. 

“I don’t know. Where do _you_ want me to go? You’re so bent on telling me what to do it seems…” Catra spun around and faced Adora, her arms crossed in front of her, her back inches from the wall.

She didn’t want to leave Adora, every fiber of her being screamed to stay. But she didn’t believe she deserved help from Adora now. It was too late for her. So, she did what she did best and pushed her away, making it seem like it was all Adora’s fault. 

Catra watched Adora grip the mattress with her right hand, visibly upset by Catra’s misplaced rage and coldness. Adora’s shoulder flexed hard with each movement of her hand, the moonlight casting a perfect outline on her rippling muscles. Catra swallowed hard, trying to remember the anger she was supposed to be showcasing.

Adora took a deep breath, attempting to calm the fire growing inside of her. She was so angry with Catra for assuming the worst in her, for not trusting her. They had always teased each other, always played dirty even as kids, but they would never intentionally hurt each other, not emotionally anyway. That was out of bounds, beyond any of their desires. They had gotten so far from those days, the intensity between them was the same but it had been redirected.

Adora rose from the cot and walked across the room to Catra, her frustration swirling around with her memories of their youth and the visual distraction of Catra in the low light.

“Well?” Catra asked again, slightly thrown off by Adora’s sudden physical proximity. She had expected Adora to let her go…to _want_ her to go.

Adora pressed her right hand on Catra’s shoulder and shoved her back against the wall.

“I don’t want you to leave, Catra.” The words slid through Adora’s teeth in a low growl. Her suppressed desires battled her frustration in a vicious vortex of emotions. “And I think you know that.”

Catra gasped at the forceful contact and looked up at Adora, shocked and thrilled. She tried to swallow down the sudden rush of nerves that bubbled up.

“N‑no. How the fuck would I know that?” Catra snarled back, daring Adora to prove herself.

Adora was sometimes too rash on the battlefield. It could get her into trouble. Quick and inventive thinking is a coveted skill for any successful leader. The actions need to be controlled, analyzed, executed with precision.

But this wasn’t the battlefield.

So, Adora gave into the first thing that came to her mind, a yearning she had struggled to name for years. 

Her lips were hot and wet against Catra’s, her hand still solidly gripping Catra’s shoulder against the wall. 

She broke away breathlessly, locking eyes with Catra, still just inches apart.

“Does that help answer your ques—” Adora started to explain herself before Catra bridged the gap, returning Adora’s kiss with her own. 

Catra wrapped both hands around Adora’s neck and pulled in roughly, leading Adora’s lips back to hers. She kissed her hard, letting her tongue sweep through Adora’s parted mouth. 

They both pulled back from the kiss and took each other in, fire and desire glowing behind their eyes. 

A quiet restlessness hung between them. 

Catra reached out hesitantly and trailed her nails down Adora’s abdomen, leaving faint raw lines along the way. Adora shivered, only slightly surprised by how much she enjoyed the sensation.

“Harder.” She encouraged, stunned by her own instinctual command. 

Catra smirked and pressed in with mastered control, tiny spots of blood prickling to the surface of the tracks left behind.

Adora watched Catra's fingers slide slowly down her stomach. Her own desire to touch Catra was overwhelming, an aching hunger clawing its way out from the inside.

She moved in closer, pushing Catra even harder against the wall. She spread Catra’s legs with one of her own, pressing her thigh firmly up and against Catra’s crotch. Adora kissed down on her shoulder in the process, calculating the danger of going further. 

Whatever tension had been mounting between them on this planet wasn't new—it was years of longing working its way free from bondage. The only danger present was in letting the moment pass them by. 

Adora pushed harder.

Catra squirmed beneath the excessive pressure, grinding her hips down. 

“Adora…” She finally breathed out, unmasked excitement rising behind her tone.

“Stay.” Adora spoke against Catra’s neck, her own breath ragged.

Catra slid her hands up Adora’s broad back and pulled her in, drunk on Adora’s demand.

“Say it again…” Catra snarled.

“Stay." Adora repeated, gravel in her voice. "Please."

She pressed her lips to Catra's again, desperate for more of her, all of her. 

The electricity in the room was thick and untamed, a nearly audible buzz circulated around them as they baited each other.

Eager, hesitant and sure all at once, they pressed and pulled, lips exploring and teasing the surface of each other’s exposed skin. 

Adora inched her hand up Catra’s side, sliding it beneath her ripped top, halting before making contact with Catra’s bare chest.

“Don’t stop.” Catra whispered.

Adora’s heart hitched in her chest, her worry following the word “don’t” immediately washed away by its successor. Catra wanted this as much as she did—whatever _this_ was. 

She let her hands wander, finding Catra’s nipples firm beneath her strong, warm fingers.

A small, needy hum dripped out of Catra’s mouth, elicited by Adora's touch.

Adora’s eyes flashed wide at the sound, an urgent throb building between her own legs.

She needed to hear that noise again.

Without hesitation, Catra reached up and grabbed Adora’s wrist, guiding her down toward her leggings. Adora slipped her hand beneath the waist band and shifted down to Catra’s middle.

“Catra..." Adora bit down on her lip and groaned, pleasantly surprised to find Catra soaking wet between her legs.

She pressed deep into Catra’s soft center with two fingers, letting her palm pound against her swollen clit with each thrust. Catra moaned louder with each pulse of Adora’s fingers stretching and filling her up.

Adora’s arm burned in bliss with the exertion. Her own needs spread like wildfire through every inch of her.

Catra released her grip on Adora’s back and smoothly found her way under Adora’s own pants. She rubbed her fingers up and across Adora’s clit, the area slick and throbbing beneath her fingertips.

Their whimpers echoed throughout the room. They hurriedly kissed and bit at each other with ragged breaths, a competitive nature toying between them.

Catra anchored herself to the floor, despite her legs’ desire to crumble, as she came hard around Adora’s long and capable fingers.

She kept her own hand busy between Adora’s thighs, working stubbornly through her own full body tremors, until Adora finished, loud and long, under Catra’s skilled pressure.

Adora fell forward against Catra, unable to use both arms to press off the wall.

A weak laugh escaped her chest.

Catra wrapped her arms around Adora's pulsating body to keep her steady.

“That…was amazing.” Adora mumbled, a dreamy fogginess filling her brain and thickening her tongue.

“Yeah. You are.” Catra blushed, overcome by a feeling of intoxication and only slightly nauseated by the words falling out of her mouth.

She righted Adora up, laced their fingers together, and led them back to the cot.

They sat down with an exhausted huff.

“This is going to sound horrible but…maybe it’s a good thing no one else is in this town. We were kind of loud!” Adora was giddy, many years of pent up desire finally flooding out.

Catra laughed, a real, wholehearted laugh. "Well, you are definitely noisier than I thought you'd be." She grinned. "No complaints." 

"Than you _thought I'd be_! Oooh, so, you've thought about this before, huh!?" Adora bumped her good shoulder up against Catra, a warm energy tingly beneath her skin.

"What? No. That's not what I meant... Whatever." She continued to smile despite revealing a little too much of herself. 

"And by the way, I said WE were loud. You're not pinning it all on me." Adora felt her nerves swirling again, flirting with Catra after fucking her had somehow made her more anxious. Hope was nerve-racking. 

Catra's smile dropped. "Wait. We were really loud…”

Her stomach instantly turned to ice and the color drained from her face. She squeezed Adora’s hand tighter, taking a quick glance toward the room’s open window.

The sun hadn’t quite risen to the horizon line yet, but the light was slowly greeting the sky. Golden hour—perfect for hunting less environmentally attuned prey.

“What…?” Adora darted her eyes to the window and back to Catra.

“Shhh.” Catra hushed Adora and lifted her nose up in the air.

There were so many scents in the room distorting Catra’s usually keen sense of smell.

Adora. Sex. Pheromones.

She tried to focus, to pick up anything, or anyone, else around the freshly perfumed atmosphere.

She released Adora’s hand, quietly pulled their backpack out from under the cot, and turned to face Adora.

“We have to run.” She whispered. “Now.”

Adora didn’t need to know anything else. She tightened her sling and set off behind Catra.

She risked a glance back at the window just before they cleared the room, an obscure outline visible in the distance. 

They weren’t alone. Not anymore. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adora apparently cares more about mending a broken heart than tending to a broken arm. Priorities!


	5. Creeping & Crawling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora and Catra meet a less than welcoming local planet dweller.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick interruption: Hi! I know this is stated in the tags but I just wanted to give a specific content warning for this chapter, just in case you: There is a bit of blood and violence ahead.

Catra scrambled through a crack in the wall at the rear of the house, turning around quickly to help Adora through the obstacle.

The jagged clay rubbed like sandpaper along Catra’s arm as she hoisted Adora through the small opening. Blood flowed freely from the surface, trailing behind them as they turned to run.

“FUCK.” She hissed under her breath, cupping a hand under her fresh wound. The thick runoff slipped between her fingers and dripped across the sand. She ripped a strip of fabric from her already tattered crop top and tied it around the cut.

A blood trail wouldn’t serve them well.

“What was that?!” Adora shout-whispered through gulping breaths while stealing another over-the-shoulder glance toward the house.

Catra didn’t have an answer that would satisfy either of them. She had never smelled anything like it before, its chemical makeup was far from organic or natural.

“I don’t fucking know.”

Catra continued to lead the way, more agile than Adora on this uneven terrain, but still not sure-footed. Running through sand was like running through molasses—clunky, sinking steps impeded both of their typically athletic abilities.

A few hundred paces from the house, Catra finally slid behind a high wall and yanked Adora to her side. They leaned against the structure and tried to swallow down as much air as they could.

“I sensed it last night, okay?” Catra tightened the shirt scrap around her injury and eyed Adora’s wounded arm in the process. They were certainly not at their physical best. “Yeah, that house had been pillaged by warriors but the blood…” She shook her head. “The blood…something else did that.”

“Some _THING_ else?” Adora winced, adjusting her sling. Her lungs burned with each breath, ghosted blue flames swirling down her throat.

Catra suddenly slapped her hand over Adora’s mouth and darted her eyes to the side, indicting for Adora to do the same. The sun had finally begun its full ascent over the horizon, but the lighting was still too obscure for Adora to make out what Catra’s sensitive eyes were privy to.

Adora knitted her eyebrows in confusion, hoping Catra would be able to explain.

Sand is a mask, each step of their assailant quieted by its shifting density. Adora watched Catra’s eyes shift, sharply following the progression of whatever was tracking them, but she couldn’t hear a sound. The lack of visibility and the silence felt like wearing a straight jacket in the middle of an ocean.

Catra dug her nails into Adora’s arm and flicked her head to the left, her eyes wide and tail rigid. Adora got the hint to move locations. Years of training for warfare alongside Catra turned out to be of some use after all. 

They slid out from their hiding place slowly, Catra still maintaining her firm grip on Adora’s arm. She led them deeper into the village, while scouring every crevasse in her path. Adora could sense that Catra wasn’t just looking out for potential danger, but also hunting for anything practical they could use in their defense.

She trained her eyes to the lighting and set to helping Catra search.

At the corner of what must have previously been the central market, Adora noticed the gleam of steel. It wasn’t much, maybe just a device these villagers had used to poke a fire, but it was better than nothing. She slowed Catra down and pointed toward the tool.

Catra focused her attention on the weapon and crouched down low, holding a finger out to Adora.

“Wait there.” She mouthed, quickly pointing from Adora to a merchant's kiosk. 

Catra crept on all fours through the sand, the low sun lengthening her shadow behind her.

Not ideal for stealth. Not ideal for survival.

Her adrenaline spiked through her veins, a dull ache circling the chip in her neck.

“Get the weapon, get back to Adora, get the weapon, get back to Adora.” Catra repeated silently to herself.

Her fingers wrapped around the cool steel rod; one end perfectly sharp. A tinge of relief settled under her skin. She didn’t care what this thing’s intended purpose was, she knew exactly where she was going to shove it.

Catra’s ears suddenly twitched, following a faint sound she had yet to fully register. Her eyes darted across the city center, searching for what had triggered the involuntary response.

Nothing.

Adora.

Shadows.

Silence.

Her eyes dashed back to Adora; her shadow was stretched out in front of her…but it wasn’t the only one.

“ADORA! RUN! NOW!” Catra screamed, her throat raw with the power coursing through it.

Adora wasted no time. She jumped up and slid through the sand toward Catra just as the thunderous beast cleared the stand she had been hiding behind.

Glistening black scales and skin shifted as the beast stretched out a long clawed arm, swiping the air behind Adora’s back.

Only the wind of its failure met her skin as she dove down to Catra’s side. 

A deafening guttural roar pounded through the atmosphere as the creature slashed at the walls within reach, all fury and frustration. Its screams, akin to loose metal in a blender, echoed around them.

Taking advantage of the beast’s temper tantrum, they crawled through the aisles of carts and tucked behind another merchant's table. They tried to quiet their breath, listening closely to the creature creep through the market, its grotesque cries still resonating.

Adora gripped Catra’s thigh, her short nail-beds white with the excessive pressure.

The massive beast hoisted its sharp snout into the air, thick saliva oozing from its rows of fangs, as it sought its prey. Each sniff pulled in the tantalizing trace of Catra’s open wound. Its yellow eyes rolled back into the cavity, reveling in the joyous scent.

Catra stole a glance at their predator, bits of machinery and exposed bone poked through its reptilian exoskeleton. She noted its use of olfactory tracking as it kept its nose held high into the air. She gripped her blood-soaked dressing, fully aware that they’d never escape with her injury signaling the creature so loudly. She grit her teeth, guilt flooding her thoughts—positive that she was solely responsible for putting them in danger. Adora would still have a chance on her own.

She refocused on her newfound weapon and tightened her grip, readying herself to separate from Adora and take on the beast alone. 

Adora watched Catra’s fingers wrap around the steel rod. She shook her head vehemently in disagreement. Of course, Catra would be preparing to take this thing on by herself. They were both wounded, weak from hunger and dehydration, and drained from the relentlessly high temperature. They’d have to work together, for better or worse.

Before Adora could protest her recklessness, she noticed Catra’s ears suddenly twisting in all directions, desperation palpable in their frantic movements.

The beast’s cries had stopped.

The air was unnaturally still.

Adora locked worried eyes with Catra just as rancid, fuming, moist heat hit the back of her neck.

In one fluid motion, jagged claws wrapped around Adora’s ankle and pulled her up off the ground. Catra fought to free her from the creature's grasp—frantically seeking a firm grip on Adora's hand. 

Their sweaty fingertips slipped apart as Adora was yanked out of reach. 

Panic washed the color from her face as she was pulled further into the town and farther away from Catra.

The creature bellowed a distorted wail as acidic drool flew wildly around its mouth, slapping Adora’s body and burning her exposed skin. The beast sucked the smell of her singed flesh deep into its orifices. 

She flailed a powerful arm out at their assailant, eager to land a punch, but the beast’s wingspan was too great. It taunted her, dangling her from its grip while sinking its claws deeper into her leg.

A long, thin tongue slipped through its toothy jaw and wiggled up Adora’s torso, groping her figure pointedly. Its eyes devoured her curves with harassing purpose, visible arousal pumping through its venomous veins.

Adora squirmed ferociously beneath the alien’s clutches. She needed She-Ra. She needed the sword.

She struggled to crane her neck, looking back toward where Catra had last been, hoping she’d signal the transformation go-ahead but found nothing but their backpack in her place.

The thought that Catra might have run to safety, escaped this sure death, soothed her. Catra shouldn’t have to watch this unfold, she thought.

The celebratory wails morphed into angry and morbid cries as the monster unexpectedly released its fierce grip on Adora.

She tumbled headfirst into the sand, her displaced elbow screaming with the contact. She scrambled to her feet to put up a fight, but her arm hung limp and numb at her side, completely useless. Spots of black peppered her vision.

“GO, ADORA! RUN!” Catra’s voice wove clearly through Adora’s dizziness.

Catra stood before the creature, the newly discovered weapon shoved deep into its lower gut.

Adora could accept her own fate—not Catra’s. Fear, adrenaline and anxiety coursed through her entire body.

“Catra! No!” Adora trudged toward her, each step igniting flames under the acidic saliva burns covering her flesh.

Catra was minuscule compared to this demon but she was unafraid. She pounced off the rod’s hilt, as it remained half-impaled in the creature’s innards, and scaled the figure all the way to the top, scratching her nails through a wandering eye.

It cried out in anguish, dropping to one knee, and ripped both hands around its gargantuan skull to eradicate the source of its pain.

Adora reached the battle scene just as the beast’s claws wrapped tightly around Catra’s body.

“CATRA!” Adora yelled, yanking the rod clear out of the monster’s belly and brandishing it anew.

Green fluid rushed from the point of entry and sizzled through the sand.

Adora stabbed the rod into the other side of its stomach and quickly pulled it back out.

More green fluid.

The creature screamed and tightened its death grip around Catra. A muffled whimper fell from her lips as her body went completely limp.

Adora reared the rod back for another attack, narrowly missing the creature as it leapt forward and mounted a vendor’s counter. It looked down at the prize in its hand, exaggeratedly licking its slimy lips.

Adora tried not to think about why this creature seemed set on keeping them hindered but alive.

Suddenly, the beast jumped to the next counter, working its way quickly through the city center and away from Adora.

“NO! NO!” Adora ran behind the monster, reeling the rod back with her right arm and catapulting it through the air toward the beast.

The weapon entered its neck with a sucking snap, putrid goo splattering in all directions. Bullseye. 

It spun around in agony, reaching for Adora with its free hand as she rounded up to its position. She skirted its advances and quickly scaled her way up to its neck.

Catra’s body continued to flail in its grasp. Adora caught a pained micro-expression wipe over her face for the briefest moment: Life. Hope.

Invigorated, Adora anchored her hands around the hilt of the fire poker and give it another push. Her injured arm shrieked as she forced it to cooperate.

The rusted point of the weapon shot through the front of the monster’s throat, an ear-piercing screech flew from its mouth.

Adora mounted the beast’s head as one hand clawed at the rod and the other remained wrapped stubbornly around a very still Catra. 

“Catra!” Adora called out desperately. Hot tears and sweat ran into her eyes as she beat her fist into the beast’s elongated cranium. Nothing was breaking its stride. 

She dug her fingers under its open wounds and tore at the flesh.

The creature continued to stumble through the sand, oozing freely from its points of trauma.

While each new wound she inflicted felt like a small victory, the fresh secretions covered Adora's hands and ate away at her flesh. She needed Catra to wake up before it was too late for both of them.

“Come on, Catra!” Adora yelled louder.

Catra’s tail flicked once from beneath the beasts grip, a brilliant flash of her mismatched eyes shone for a fleeting moment. 

Adora caught sight of the brief movements. Anxiety laced hope flooded her chest. She knew Catra was too stubborn to be out of the fight. 

"Catra!" She choked out. "I...I need you to help me!” 

Adora’s words cut through the darkness like a knife as Catra struggled to come to her senses. She had never heard Adora ask for help before. It scared her as much as it encouraged her. The adrenaline rush cocooned her pain. 

A rumbling groan vibrated in her chest. The damage to her ribs made it nearly impossible to speak.

“...Adora!?” Catra finally managed, her voice raspy and cracked. 

Adora was pummeling the monster’s head, but it was still on track for its cave in the dunes. She couldn’t fathom winning this battle if the creature had them cornered in its home. They needed to end this—together. And now maybe that would be possible. 

"I need you to help me!" Adora repeated, suddenly more confident in the power behind her words. 

Catra accepted the challenge. She narrowed her eyes and bit down on the beast’s slimy knuckles, her own fangs sinking deep into its wet scales. Tacky sulfuric fluid coated and burned her tongue.

Piercing screams rose from the creature's massive jaw as it released its firm grip on her.

She hit the ground on all fours, somehow still managing balance despite the severe damage to her core.

Adora continued slashing at the beast's flesh, watching in awe as Catra climbed back up the creature’s body to assist her onslaught.

Catra quickly slid the weapon out from its neck and raised it high above the top of its head, ready to serve the final blow. The pain in her ribs caused her arms to shake uncontrollably.

Adora moved beside her and placed a heavy, mutilated palm over Catra's hands as they slammed the rod down together.

As the point pressed into the slick exoskeleton, the creature raised its claw in one final act of preservation and sliced wildly into the air.

Adora and Catra crashed into the sand with the beast. Dust rose around them and settled in a low cloud.

Adora clutched at her chest, the air slowly filling her lungs. As she worked her way up to her knees, she eyed the creature. Not an ounce of life left in him.

“He’s dead!" Adora crawled through the sand to Catra, pushing the bloody claws of their attacker to the side. "We did it!"

Catra clumsily edged up onto her elbow and smiled at Adora as she neared.

“Yeah, we did.” She winced through her smile.

Adora wrapped her arms around Catra and pulled her in, burying her face into Catra’s neck.

“Thank you.” She managed to breathe out against Catra’s matted fur.

Her fingertips met smooth, slick, liquid as she held her closer.

Adora pulled back and brought her wet hands up to her face.

“You’re…” Adora placed her hands on Catra’s back again, slowly feeling the deep gash running from the top to the bottom. Bright red blood pooled onto the sand behind her. Adora’s mouth snapped shut.

“It had to be a scratch. Fitting, huh?” Catra smirked up at her, pain dragging along the corners of her mouth.

A low, hitched sob escaped Adora’s chest. “No, no, no. Catra. No!”

“Not again, right?” Catra forced a weak laugh. “It’s okay. This time, it’s okay. Because… I think you know that I–” She broke off into a cough, the flow of blood increasing behind her.

“What? Know that you what?” Adora frowned and gritted her teeth, stroking Catra’s hair out of her face.

A thick ring of shadows crowded Catra’s vision as she teetered on the razor’s edge of consciousness.

As the darkness closed in around her, an echoing distant sound of Adora’s voice rang out on a loop:

_“Catra! I need you to help me!”_

_Their battle against the beast played before her. She watched from outside of her body as Adora fought desperately to save her from its clutches._

_“I need you to help me!”_

_She watched Adora’s face shift beneath the pain of her own injuries._

_“I need you...”_

_She watched Adora recognizing her potential defeat as she cried out to Catra._

_“...help me!”_

_Catra’s body floated like an apparition over the scene. Tears stained her ghostly cheeks as she looked down at her own body limp and lifeless in the alien’s claws._

_She screamed out to herself, “WAKE UP! HELP HER! DON’T GIVE UP!”_

_Catra watched on, anxiously willing herself to stir._

_Her tail flicked once beneath the monster’s grip._

_And just as her eyes opened in the battle scene, they too opened in the present._

“Adora?” Catra whispered as she emerged from her momentary stupor. The moving parts of her hallucination clicking into place like a puzzle.

Adora swallowed hard, her throat tight and raw. “Catra. Please. I want you to stay. Remember? I’m not letting you go.”

Catra took a shallow, ragged breath. Thanks to Adora, she knew now that something she had once considered a weakness was actually an act of true bravery.

She exhaled, a new sense of calm spread through her body. “I need you to help me.” 

Catra's words swirled around Adora’s head and slipped right into her chest.

She smiled down at Catra and nodded once. She understood.

Calmly and clearly, without pause, Adora called out, “ _For the honor of Grayskull!_ ” 

A bright golden glow surrounded them as Adora confidently shifted into her transformation.

She-Ra held Catra in her arms and pressed her to her chest, her radiant stare set on Catra’s dimming gold and teal eyes.

The energy vibrated around them. The folds of ripped skin along Catra’s back fused together, her ribs set back into formation. Adora’s left arm cracked and slid into place, her burns sealed with new flesh.

As the golden light waned, Catra refocused her eyes on She-Ra. This was still _her Adora,_ it had to be.

Catra groaned, half pain, half pleasure.

“Hey, Adora…” She raised an eyebrow, somehow still managing a smug composition. 

She-Ra’s subtle glow changed hues, a blue light emanating from her skin.

“Oh? So, I’m still Adora?” She smirked.

“Don’t ruin it.” Catra teased, wrapping a hand around She-Ra’s neck and pulling their lips together.

Adora’s body shifted back to her true form, their lips still locked.

As they pulled apart, bruised but not broken, they took in the sight beside them.

Reality lingered.

“Think he’s the only one?” Catra nodded to the lifeless form.

Adora stood up slowly, brushing the sand from her legs. “Only one way to find out, I guess!”

Catra sighed, suddenly sure that this place was where heaven and hell collided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really unsure about how the rating system works? If you believe this story should be marked "Explicit" based on its existing themes, I'll change it with a quickness! Otherwise, I'll leave it be and also try to stop overthinking everything in my life (yeah right).


	6. Companions & Chirps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The desert reveals a few more surprises and, depending on who you ask, they might not all be so pleasant. (Hint: It's Catra. She doesn't like all of the surprises.)

“We need to go back for our bag... I’m going to devour the rest of those gel packs and ration bars.” Adora stretched out her body, her long limbs popping and cracking with each twist. “I’ll save you a couple bites. Don’t worry.”

Despite the lingering soreness radiating under her skin, Adora spoke with a subtle wink in her voice. Catra reveled in a sound that was so uniquely Adora, a sound she had missed for years.

“Wow, thanks.” Catra smirked, standing up and brushing the sand from her blood stained clothes. “I can’t believe you left our backpack behind. How careless.” She raised an eyebrow at Adora, willing her to continue the banter.

A fiery ache coursed from her head to her feet, but she shook it away.

Adora grabbed Catra’s hand and grinned. “Me? _You_ had it last, actually.”

A delirious, giddy energy surrounded them as they set off in the direction of the town center and began the tiresome task of retracing their steps.

“Why would you trust me with a backpack? I don’t even wear shoes.” Catra exaggeratedly wiggled her toes in the sand with each step.

“Mmmm. You make a good point.” Adora tried to cool her wide smile, excitedly soaking up Catra’s rediscovered playfulness. “I do though. Trust you, I mean.”

“Adora… Can we at least get some hydration before we dive into our feelings?” Catra shivered, despite the heat.

Her back may have just been literally opened up, but her heart still weakly protested the matter.

Adora nodded, her sand-colored, sand-filled hair shaking loose around her shoulders. She wasn’t sure when she lost her hair tie, but it was long gone by now. She tried to unstick the damp strands from her neck to no avail.

A little shade would be nice, even a light breeze would be a welcome relief from the threat of heat exhaustion. The desert demon had been defeated but the pressing danger of their situation still weighed heavy on their burning shoulders.

They walked on in comfortable silence, clinging to a rediscovered pleasant quiet that exists between only a special few. Catra nonchalantly swiped her tail across the back of Adora’s legs every couple paces. The familiarity of the light touch sent satisfying shockwaves across her warm skin. It wasn’t much, but Adora knew it was Catra’s way of showing her own trust and affection.

Maybe they were walking back to where they had just come from, but they were also making progress in a different way.

“Can I ask _you_ something this time?” Catra finally spoke, breaking through their reverie.

“Uh, yeah. I think you’re capable…” Adora joked lazily, the heat dulling her tongue.

“When you’re She-Ra…do you feel different, you know, on the inside?” Catra mumbled quickly.

An innocent smile snuck across Adora’s face. “I thought we weren’t talking about feelings?”

“Yeah. Well, let’s hope curiosity doesn’t really kill the cat. Answer the stupid question, please.” Catra kicked through the sand, melting into her own embarrassment.

Adora chewed on her bottom lip and stopped walking. She brought a hand over her brow to shield her eyes from the sun and looked directly at Catra.

“In all the ways that really matter, yes.” She squinted through the bright sunshine. “I think the expectations for She-Ra make me _act_ like a machine when I am her, sometimes. But it’s always just me in there. Same old Adora, big, fancy new body. I promise.” She flexed, attempting to add an ounce of levity to the situation.

Catra laughed, relief washing over her. “Yeah, you’re a real beefcake… I mean, she is. Ugh. Stop smiling like that. Forget I said anything.” Blush tinged her already red face.

Adora’s cocky smile grew ear to ear but she swallowed down her desire to tease Catra any further. It was enough for now.

*******

The abandoned market felt even more deserted now that they had seen battle there. New destruction covered the already annihilated area. They crawled and ducked under fallen walls and decimated carts until they finally unearthed their once forgotten backpack.

They sucked down their electrolyte gels in a fury, only breaking to share the last ration bar. It wasn’t nearly enough, but the fuel sustained them for the time being. The need for real food was growing more dire with each passing minute.

Adora perched herself up on a small stone ledge under one of the few remaining shady tent coverings. The smooth surface was surprising cool. She patted the spot beside her, indicating for Catra to join her.

Catra squeezed into the remaining space, pressing up tight against Adora. They sighed in unison, whether it be from the momentary refuge or the comfort of proximity, that wasn’t something they felt the need to divulge.

But the stillness allowed Catra the unfortunate opportunity to reconnect with the subtle buzzing at the back of her neck. She rubbed the chip and ground her teeth together, sensing Horde Prime lingering behind a thin veil. She focused her energy on keeping that veil in place without causing Adora to worry. She moved her hand back down to her lap quickly. 

“So, not to state the obvious, but we need to figure out how to get off this floating ball of doom.” Catra rounded her arms up to the sky.

“Oh, really? I was kind of thinking we’d settle down here together.” Adora wrapped her arm around Catra’s shoulders and pulled her in roughly, tussling Catra’s hair with her other hand.

Catra wrestled herself free and wrapped her hands around Adora’s waist playfully, digging her fingers into her most ticklish spots.

“Stop that! Eek!” Adora laughed herself right off the edge of their perch and fell back into the sand.

Instinctively, Catra pounced on top of her, pinning Adora flat against the ground. She flashed her sharp fangs in a wide smile, proud of her victory.

Adora’s grin turned serious, her eyes traveling from Catra’s gaze down to her mouth and back up again. Her pulse thundered loudly in her ears. All of this sun exposure had left Catra with a few extra freckles on her high cheekbones and a slightly darker hue to her full lips. It was completely distracting. 

“What?” Catra huffed excitedly, still reveling in the moment of conquering Adora.

“You’re really beautiful.” Adora spoke as if there was intention behind it but she herself was shocked by words coming out of her mouth.

“Oh.” Catra cocked her head to the side, truly not sure how to process the open compliment.

A beat passed between them.

Then another.

Adora shifted beneath Catra’s low straddle, her eyes still lingering on her lips as Catra eased her tongue out to saturate them.

Slowly, with concentrated purpose, Catra brought her face above Adora’s, hovering for an electric second.

She took a deep breath and pressed their lips together softly.

Adora teased her tongue into Catra’s parted mouth, eager for more of her.

But Catra pulled away abruptly, her ears twitching, and nose raised high.

“Wh-What is it?” Adora sat up from under Catra, her excitement from the kiss washing away into confusion and worry. 

Adora’s eyes flashed fiery white, ready and waiting to summon She-Ra.

Catra held her hand to Adora’s chest and shook her head. “Not yet.” She mouthed.

Catra dismounted Adora’s lap and moved to peer out from behind the stone ledge. A shadow flashed in her periphery, but she couldn’t make out its source. She edged out from their hiding spot and crawled deeper into the town. She signaled Adora to stay in place. Adora crossed her arms defiantly, her eyes still glowing bright. She was stubborn, but not stupid. Catra did have a leg up on tracking skills in this setting. She’d have to wait, impatiently, for her signal.

Catra crouched down and continued on.

The shadow flashed by again.

She inhaled deeply. The scent was almost familiar, although it was not an odor she was particularly fond of. She sniffed at the putrid air again and followed the trail.

Whatever this thing was, it was moving in nonsensical circles. It took Catra longer than she’d care to admit to realize this thing was trying to throw her off its path. It was as if it wanted her distracted so that it could get back to…

Just as it dawned on her that she’d gotten a little too far from Adora, she heard her voice.

“Uh…Catra?” Adora called out shakily.

Not fear, just confusion.

Catra didn’t care, she ran on all fours all the way back to her, skidding to halt through the sand. A long hiss escaped through her bared teeth when she locked eyes with their very unwelcome visitor.

Adora kept her focus forward but held her hand out to Catra, motioning for her to settle down beside her.

"I'm okay..." Adora mumbled through the corner of her mouth to Catra, her face just inches from their tracker. 

A golden, oversized, canine stood unflinching and nose to nose with Adora. Its snout edged in closer with its furry head canted to the side quizzically.

Catra’s tail bristled. She did not like dogs, especially not excessively large alien dogs, and certainly not excessively large alien dogs that were sniffing her... person. She still wasn't sure what term she should refer to Adora with. Ex-enemy? Friend? More than that? Now probably wasn't the time to think that through. 

Adora darted her eyes from the canine’s amber gaze back to Catra and then back again.

“Ummm…Hello there.” She raised her eyebrows and smiled, hoping to seem friendly.

The animal sat down on its haunches and swept its two long tails back and forth across the sand behind it.

“I think she likes me.” Adora beamed, hesitantly reaching out a hand to graze the fur of her new friend.

“I don’t think you should be petting that _thing_. It looks dangerous.” Catra snarled at the dog.

As if on cue, the extraterrestrial canine plopped its head playfully into Adora’s palm and rubbed hard against her hand. A long purple tongue slid out of its mouth and slathered her arm.

“Yes. Very dangerous.” Adora rolled her eyes. “Come here and meet her!”

“Nope. No thanks. It probably just wanted to check out what the noise was and now it will want to leave.” Catra nodded, as if trying to believe her own statement.

The fuzzy creature stood up, walked a couple circles around Adora and then trotted a few paces away.

“See. It’s leaving.” Catra smiled.

“Wait…” Adora stood up.

The dog returned and did the same thing again—circled Adora and then walked forward.

“She wants us to follow her!” Adora slid her arm around Catra’s shoulders. “I think we should. She might have food and water. What else are we going to do?!”

Catra frowned at Adora, her own fangs peeking out above her lower lip.

“Please…”

“Whatever. We’ll follow that mangy mutt. If it has food, cool. If it’s evil and I get to say, ‘I told you so’, also cool. Win-win.” Catra rolled her eyes.

Adora slid her hand down to Catra’s waist and pulled her against her side.

“Thank you.” She whispered, her lips vibrating against Catra’s ear.

*******

They walked into the vast horizon behind their new four-legged companion. The sand dunes rolled on, nothing changed except the growing tension in Catra’s upper back. Wandering aimlessly and submissively did not sit well with her.

Every few meters, the animal would look over her shoulder at Adora, as if to check in. Adora would smile and nod in return. She wasn’t sure what compelled her to do so, but it felt right and seemed to be exactly what the canine needed.

“So, what if this thing is leading us into the clutches of more of those poisonous shithead monsters?” Catra was losing her patience more and more with each of Adora’s affirming nods.

“First of all, I’ve decided her name is Sandra not ‘ _this thing_ ’. And second, there is just no way. Look at her! She’s so sweet!” Adora cooed toward the dog.

“ _Sandra_. Really?”

“You know… _Sand_ , because the desert. And _ra_ , like Cat _ra_ and Ado _ra_...” Blush flooded Adora's cheeks. 

“Ew. Okay. You’ve lost it. It’s the heat. I’m worried about you.” Catra wrapped her hands roughly around Adora’s face and peered into her eyes, inspecting for signs of damage.

The canine, now affectionately known as Sandra, ran back and stepped directly between them, shuffling Catra away from Adora.

Catra hissed in her direction and looked up at a very amused Adora.

She pointed a sharp fingernail at Sandra, “Oh, no, no, no… I didn’t just basically die twice so that a _mutt_ could boss me around. I’d rather have Horde Prime…”

The second his name fell out of her mouth, Catra seized up. She’d been so careful, so guarded. But the instant those words escaped, the hell storm on her neck ignited.

She dropped to her knees and slammed her eyes shut, still protecting their location from his prying surveillance. Green sparks flew wildly around her neck.

Adora knelt down in front of Catra and wrapped her arms around her. Sandra stood at her flank, whimpering in confusion.

Catra suddenly spoke in a low register, her own voice overlapping with another.

_“I am waiting, Little Sister. Come into the light and all shall be forgiven. Atone for your transgressions and you shall be cleansed anew.”_

Her own raspy scream brought her out of the stupor. Adora held Catra’s arms down as she fought to reach up and scratch at her neck.

Sandra watched Adora hold Catra tight, humming and soothing her cries. Instant awareness and acceptance settled under the creature’s fur. She leaned hard against Catra, hoping the act would translate as comfort and friendship.

The group remained in a huddle for a few moments. Adora knew better than to ask for details of the event and Catra knew better than to blame her even if she did. They were learning.

They finally righted themselves up, Adora taking on most of Catra’s weight as she regained her strength, and moved onward.

Sandra’s two long tails wagged as she ran ahead, her massive paws slamming confidently into the sand.

“I think we’re close.” Adora assured Catra.

As they reared up behind Sanda, they finally saw it: A lagoon in the middle of the wasteland. Water cascaded down smooth grey rocks into a crystal-clear lake. Lush foliage surrounded the oasis and rose up around shady enclaves.

They tumbled down the sandhill and rushed to the waterfront, kneeling at the bank. Sandra took a long drink and stared up at Adora, her golden beard wet with the excess.

“It’s safe to drink!” Adora dipped her hands into the water and filled her palms. She let the liquid run through her fingers, into her mouth and down her chin, soaking her chest in the process.

Catra leaned forward and lapped up the water directly into her mouth. The tension in her back finally easing with each drag of the refreshment. She slid her hands into the water and ran her wet fingers through her short hair, slicking it back over her head.

Sandra disappeared into the vegetation and returned with a berry covered branch in her mouth.

“Fruit. Gross.” Catra groaned. “Don’t they have any meat?”

Adora laughed and plucked a berry from the branch, tossing it at Catra.

“You’re still thinking about eating me up, huh? Craving a beefcake, maybe?” Adora winked, proud to have the upper hand on sass this time.

Catra snatched the berry out of the air before it made contact and popped it into her mouth.

“Well, actually, yeah.” Her mouth curled into a smirk, satisfied with the look of shock on Adora’s face.

The fruit was perfectly ripe and soft beneath their teeth, each bite spread sweet, syrupy juice over their tongues and stained their lips. They gorged themselves on every fresh product Sandra brought forward until they were full up.

The three of them sat in the shade along the lake’s beach and delighted in the momentary escape. Near-death experience after near-death experience will certainly make moments of respite all the more delectable.

Adora dumped the hot sand from her red combat boots and placed them beside her. She slid her toes into the water’s edge and hummed with unabashed satisfaction.

“Mmmm. Wanna go in with me?” She raised an eyebrow at Catra, knowing full well her disdain for swimming.

“Nope. But knock yourself out. Or… try not to do that, actually. I don’t want to have to jump in to save you.” Catra didn’t have any desire to submerge herself completely in the water, but she’d be just fine watching Adora enjoy it.

“As if you wouldn’t love to come to my rescue…again.” Adora grinned and slipped off her pants, diving into the lake without hesitation.

The clear water rippled around her skin, parting with each smooth stroke of her strong arms.

Catra sucked the lingering sweet nectar from her fingertips and lounged back on her elbows, taking in the view. A light inside her flickered on and warmed under her skin. Happiness.

But just as quickly as the feeling rushed to the surface, it was snuffed out by overwhelming guilt. They couldn’t ever be truly happy here. This wasn’t real. Adora would never abandon her people and, the truth was, Catra wouldn’t be able to either. She’d have to soak up this ridiculous, dangerous, amazing getaway for all that it was while trying to figure out a way off the planet.

Sandra rushed to the water’s edge, dancing around excitedly, yipping and chirping in a high-pitched frequency. She spun around in the shallows, glancing over Catra’s shoulder to the tropical forestry behind her.

“Just when I thought you couldn’t be any more annoying, you actually _chirp_.” Catra rolled her eyes toward their canine companion and went back to watching Adora.

Adora floated on her back through the middle of the lagoon, calling out to Sandra to join her.

The dog continued to splash around on bank, glancing around Catra again and wagging her tails animatedly.

Catra had been so completely distracted by Adora’s swimming that she uncharacteristically hadn’t noticed the gentle rumble heading their way. She spun around just in time to witness 4 more Sandra’s plow through the forest’s edge. She hissed lazily as they ran around her to join their leader at the lake.

All 5 dogs chirped and careened into each other before paddling out into the water to play with Adora.

“Awesome. More of them. Maybe the clone brothers weren’t so bad.” She shuddered and bit her tongue.

As the pups and Adora, who maybe fit in a little too well with their dog-like goofiness, continued their innocent splashing, something gnawed at Catra’s thoughts. A needling tingle bloomed at the base of her neck.

These canine creatures were something like clones themselves. All 5 dogs seemed identical in nature, as some litters tend to be. But the way Sandra communicated with them was what dug into Catra’s gut—the chirping.

“Chirp…Chip…Chirp…Chip.” Catra mumbled under her breath for a little too long to be considered sane by some.

“Adora!” She yelled out across the water.

Adora paddled toward her in a rush, her eyes briefly flashing a bright, hot white, sure that danger was imminent.

“What is it?! Are you okay?” She jogged up the shore toward Catra, shoving her wet hair out of her face. Cool droplets ran over her trim muscles and fell carelessly around her.

Catra leaned back in the sand and stared up at Adora, a slight trace of regret on her face.

“I know how to get off of this planet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of fluff in this chapter because...they deserve a freakin' break.


	7. Confessions & Chips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glimmer, Bow, Entrapta and Wrong Hordak make a plan and Catra and Adora follow suit with their own. Magic is in the air, for better or for worse.

“Brothers, why do you seek to besmirch his name? He is benevolent and just in his reign. Glory be to Horde Prime…and peace be with us all.” Wrong Hordak glanced between Glimmer, Bow and Entrapta, a dopey smile still on his face.

Glimmer pinched the bridge of her nose as a sigh rumbled out of her chest. “We are asking you a simple question, Wrong Hordak. You wouldn’t want to let your brothers down would you?”

Entrapta, who had been twisting a wrench on Darla’s mainframe, looked up at a very confused Wrong Hordak. A long purple pigtail crawled across the space between them and patted his hand softly.

She smiled at him and nodded reassuringly.

“I don’t…I would never betray my brothers. We are all but humble servants of Horde Prime and, together, we share his mission and spread his light throughout the galaxy.” He stuttered, attempting to understand how his brothers and Horde Prime could possibly diverge in needs. “I am loyal to Him and to them.”

“We get that, buddy. Loyalty is really important to us too! All of this…” Bow swept his arms around Darla’s bridge, now covered in maps and artifacts, “…this whole thing is so that we can rescue our lost brothers who are in danger! It is very important for us to look out for each other.” Bow smiled, his eyes soft and kind.

Wrong Hordak placed his arms behind his back and clasped his hands together. “Yes. I see. Our brothers are in need and… I must provide my knowledge to assist in their rescue.” He nodded and paced around the items strewn across the floor, clearly still distraught.

The space team had been bouncing around the galaxy for days, collecting any and all information they thought might potentially lead them to Catra and Adora. Maps from outer rim moons, tech from advanced but hostile planets. Nothing connected them to their friends.

While on a forest moon in the Hyperion constellation, Glimmer finally broke down in an uncontrollable fit of tears. Her magic was still stifled, and they were nowhere near finding their Adora and Catra.

Her sad but angered outburst caused her to lash out without focus. No one was safe from her wrath, not even herself. She questioned everyone's methods and blamed her own shortcomings. The crew sought to reassure her, but she was too tired to hear it. They all rambled on with words of encouragement. Entrapta attempted to explain the scientific value of failure and Bow shared his never-ending optimism. Nothing broke through her frustration. It wasn’t until Wrong Hordak mentioned how fortunate they were to have avoided encountering ‘dangerous magic’ on their quest that her ears perked back up.

Now, they were back on Darla, hoping to extradite more information about this so-called _dangerous magic_ from their cohort. His hesitation and fear of betraying Horde Prime’s confidence by revealing the magic’s location was a well-guarded gate between them all.

“This is the _right_ thing to do. I know it’s hard to see now, but you have to trust us. This is kind of like baking. We’re missing one key ingredient and its messing up the recipe. You have that ingredient though! If you can tell us where you’ve seen magic, I might be able to connect to my powers and locate Catra and Adora—our brothers.”

Wrong Hordak looked perplexed, worry knitted across his skeletal face.

“Every ingredient is of the utmost important.” He eyed Glimmer seriously.

“Totally.” She smiled and nodded.

“I will speak of what I know then.”

Wrong Hordak shared his intel with the crew: Horde Prime’s aversion to magic, the failure to colonize a planet with strong undercurrents of it, and the location of said planet.

Entrapta bounded over to Wrong Hordak on the ends of her pigtails. She squealed with delight, and squeezed his cheeks with strands of her finger-like hair before scurrying off to program Darla with the coordinates for _Krytis._

__

*******

Adora dropped to her knees in the sand beside Catra, ringing the ends of her wet hair out with her hands.

“Okay… So, what’s the plan? How do we get off of this planet?” She tilted her head to the side, her curiosity only rivaled by the sudden stirring in her stomach.

The sight of Catra resting on the beach, her sun-dried hair falling carelessly over her brow, made Adora nervous in a good way. She could get used to this feeling, this view, this less-guarded version of Catra... If only hiding out in this oasis forever didn't mean the downfall of the entire universe. 

“You’re going to hate it.” Catra laughed, her fangs sparkling in the sunshine.

“You’re definitely selling it well so far!” Adora crossed her arms under her soaked sports bra and shook her head. 

Catra tried to focus on the matters at hand, despite becoming increasingly distracted by Adora’s every movement. The water just made her so... _sparkly_. 

She gulped and continued.

“I need to let _them_ find me. I need to use this chip.” She rubbed the back of her neck. "I need to let _him_ in."

“WHAT!? You’re right. I hate it. Nope.” Adora frowned, a dark shadow casting over her grey eyes.

Catra stood up and flicked her tail back and forth, pacing in front of Adora.

“ _He_ won’t leave his safe haven without more intel, not with what She-Ra did to him last time. He’ll send a clone, maybe two, in a shuttle to scout it out before he makes his big extraction. That’s our way out of here—their ship. We’ll just need to take them down and hijack their transpo… and then we’re free.” 

Catra was basically digging a trench in the sand with her incessant pacing.

Adora bit down on her lip and stood up to stop Catra in her tracks. She put her hands on Catra's shoulders. 

“What if you’re wrong? What if _he_ shows up? What if he takes you away again? What if I can’t stop him? What if…” Adora trailed off, her eyes glassy.

“Adora…” Catra placed her hands overtop of Adora’s. “You said you trusted me, remember”

“Well, yeah. But you didn’t want to talk about feelings then so…” Adora let out a weak, nervous laugh, not quite ready to joke yet.

“I _trust_ you, too.” Catra smiled almost shyly, hoping Adora would read between the lines and wishing she could say the words she really meant.

“Trust” would have to do for now.

Blush stained Adora’s cheeks as the true meaning of Catra's words settled under her skin. “Okay. Let’s do it.” 

*******

They spent the night under the stars, preparing to summon the galaxy’s oldest and creepiest warlord the following day.

They were exhausted, happy and terrified. The mixture combined like a spontaneous chemical reaction inside of them both. Being on the oasis together was like living in a bubble surrounded by spikes. They knew it would pop soon but they soaked it up while they could.

A light breeze blew across the water, pleasantly chilling the desert air. They both inhaled the fresh scent of orange blossoms the crossed over from the other side of the lagoon with the wind. Calm silence covered them like a weighted blanket. 

Catra reached out and drew her nails lightly across Adora’s exposed stomach as they stretched out in their momentary bliss.

Adora held her breath, afraid to move a muscle and frighten Catra away.

“You can relax.” Catra chuckled, totally aware of Adora’s tension.

“I’m relaxed…” She said, unconvincing even to herself. “I like what you’re doing, that’s all.”

“So… you’re tense _because_ you like it?” Catra laughed again.

“It sounds stupid when you say it like that! But yes. I don’t want you to stop. I have a way of scaring you off. Ruining it.” Adora sighed and shifted her eyes toward Catra quickly, anxious to see her response. 

It was amazing how bright her multicolored eyes were in the night. Shades of turquoise and aquamarine swirled together in her right and infinite facets of gold flickered in her left. Even her rich black pupils seemed to magically reflect the starry sky, like tiny nebulas right there in the center. Their depth had a hypnotic effect that had confused Adora for many years. When they were kids or, worse, when they were enemies, the dizzy sensation Adora felt wash over her when she locked eyes with Catra was too much to wrap her head around. She wasn't confused now, but definitely still dizzy.

Catra continued dragging her nails softly across Adora’s skin while she processed Adora’s words.

“I’m...sorry.” She finally exhaled, the scent of sweet berries on her breath.

“What…?” Adora frowned, confused by the response to what she had said. She wasn’t looking for an apology. 

“I’m sorry." Catra repeated, more confidently. "You act like I’m a hidden landmine just waiting to explode…and you have every right to.” Her breath hitched slightly but she continued. “I’m learning and unlearning. It’s going to take time…but I’m not scared and I’m not going to run away from the process…or you. I want to stay.”

Adora perched herself up on her elbow and leaned over to kiss Catra, quickly and unexpectedly.

Their lips met softly, an unashamed smile spreading between them.

Adora tipped her forehead onto Catra's and sighed. 

“Good.” Adora whispered. “Me too.”

*******

The next morning, after a night of rest and not-rest, they were ready to initiate their plan. Although, Adora didn't hide her discomfort with it well. She really wasn't an actor. 

Catra was oddly comforted by Adora's inability to be anything but her honest self, even in this particular situation where a little blind optimism might not actually be such a bad thing.

Sandra and her pack circled Adora and Catra protectively, their instincts astutely clued into the fact that something potentially dangerous was in the works.

Catra sat between Adora’s legs at the edge of the oasis, Adora’s arms wrapped around her from behind. The position of choice was a shy request, made last minute by Catra, much to both of their surprise. Adora eagerly accepted, knowing it was more for her than for Catra. 

They breathed in deeply, their chests rising and falling in unison. Adora waited for Catra to begin.

Finally, Catra opened her eyes wide and whispered, “Horde Prime”. A chill lifted her fur on end.

They waited.

A surge of energy shot up her spine and clicked at the base of neck. She kept her eyes trained on the vast desert before her.

Adora squeezed her arms tighter around Catra. A low whimper bubbled out of Catra’s mouth as she dug her nails into Adora’s thighs.

Prime was there, fiddling around under the surface. He rejoiced in the connection forged with his Little Sister. The clones on his space deck hurriedly tracked Catra’s ignited chip at his command, believing the open source to be a mistake on her part.

The pain radiated through her body all the while, like dry needles slowly entering the skin.

Adora held on, anger and anxiety battling inside of her. She knew she had to be strong for Catra. She just had to wait a little longer and then she could stop this madness.

The seconds crept by slowly.

Catra squeezed Adora’s thighs even tighter, giving her signal. They had what they needed.

She carefully peeled Catra’s hands from her thighs and pressed her thumbs into Catra’s palms, repeating the act that had become their source of comfort again.

“Catra…Come back to me. I’m right here.” She rested her lips on Catra’s shoulder, tentatively.

Catra’s body trembled beneath her and settled into place, still tense but less rigid.

“Hey, Adora.” She leaned back against Adora’s chest, fresh tears staining her cheeks.

“Think it worked?” Adora spoke gently.

“I know it did.”

*******

With one last farewell to the lagoon, Sandra led Catra and Adora back to the abandoned city. There was no use in leading the clones directly to the one oasis on the planet.

The route they took crossed over the remains of the monstrous villain they had previously defeated. Sandra walked in a wide circle around the beast, growling defensively.

“Guess y’all know each other?” Adora motioned between them, proud that she and Catra had removed a potential source of conflict for their new companion.

Catra walked directly up to the body and knelt down before its gruesome jaw, the wheels visibly turning behind her eyes.

“I have an idea.” She shouted over her shoulder at Adora and the big pup.

“Great! Your ideas are never terrifying!” Adora shouted back sarcastically.

She jogged up to the scene to investigate closer.

Catra held the backpack under the thing’s jaw and extended one long nail, carefully tracing along the creatures gum-line, right below a sharp fang.

“A little vacation souvenir? Cute idea, kinda gross but less terrifying than I thought.” Adora teased, still nervous about Catra’s real reasoning.

“Sorry to gross you out, Princess.” Catra continued concentrating on the extraction. She didn’t want the tooth to touch her skin, knowing full well what the saliva did to flesh.

The fang dropped into the bag and she zipped it up.

“It’s not so much a souvenir as it is survival.” Catra winked and flung the backpack over her shoulder.

The pressed on, dragging their feet through the sand. The oppressive heat added invisible weight to their shoulders.

They settled into the middle of the town, more than a little sweaty but ready for battle.

A loud bang signaled something had entered the atmosphere.

Right on time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more to go! Yay?


	8. Prime & Promises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With newfound trust as their mightiest weapon, Catra and Adora work together to get off the Desert of Doom for good.
> 
> It's the climax (in more ways than one).

“For the honor of Grayskull!”

Adora held out her right hand as her sleek sword of protection materialized in a bright, kaleidoscopic flash. Her sweaty sportswear was swapped for a pristine white and gold uniform. Her hair whipped around behind her in a luminous platinum-blonde ponytail.

Catra stayed tucked down behind the cart they had chosen to hide behind in the courtyard. Although she was supposed to be keeping a lookout, her eyes were glued to Adora as she transformed into She-Ra. Now that they had leapt over the hurdle of misplaced resentment, Catra could finally appreciate how magnificent the metamorphosis was.

This She-Ra truly was _her Adora_ , one and the same.

With the transformation complete, Adora crouched back down with Catra and Sandra to prepare for their clone visitors. Being 8-feet tall, Adora made the hiding spot a little more crowded than they had anticipated but they squished together nice and tight.

“Why do I have to be next to _Sandra_?” Catra hissed, rolling her eyes toward the dog.

Sandra gazed back at Catra with her dopey amber eyes, fully playing the innocent puppy card.

“Aww, I think she really likes you. It’s sweet.” Adora whispered, nudging Catra gently.

Catra glanced back at Adora, craning to meet her eyes. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something about She-Ra’s updated look was familiar somehow. She squinted to clear her focus through the bright glare of She-Ra’s aura. 

“Hey! Why does your stupid princess tiara look like my old mask?!” A smug look settled across Catra’s face as she ran her hands across her bare forehead, ghosting the shape of her old signature piece.

She missed her mask—the weight of it, the way it pulled her wild hair back and framed her face, the effect it commanded. The thought of it sitting in Horde Prime’s trophy room now made her skin crawl. But seeing She-Ra’s subtle homage to something so obviously special to her helped settle that discomfort.

Adora’s cheeks flushed pink beneath her golden hue. “Shhh… We’ve gotta be ready to fight these guys. No more talking.”

She reached up and awkwardly adjusted her Catra-inspired tiara, a small smile teasing the corners of her mouth.

Catra leaned over to Sandra and whispered loud enough for Adora to hear, “Aww, I think she really likes me.” She grinned knowingly back at Adora.

A faint rustling sound of stiff fabric swishing against steel disturbed their ill-timed flirtation. A sudden air of seriousness joined them behind the cart. Catra trained her ears toward the movement, picking up on a low crunch as sand worked its way under the clones’ draped garments and into their hinges. 

As they had designed, broken glass and mirror fragments lined the rim of the courtyard they were hiding in, allowing them a vantage point on the clones even while tucked away. They weren’t allowing any surprise attacks this time—this time they were prepared.

“There are three of them.” Catra hissed.

The clones marched to the center of the square and held their formation.

A single clone stepped forward; his green eyes altered just slightly to reveal Horde Prime’s puppeteering presence within him. He held he hands out, palms facing up to the sky.

_“Little Sister, I am delighted to be here in your…”,_ the clone scanned the vicinity, _“…rather quaint dwelling. Although,”_ he continued to peer around the ruins, _“I have been here before.”_ A sick smile spread across his host’s face.

Catra’s hackles raised immediately and Adora gripped her hand tight, holding her back.

_“You and your Adora would be wise to return to my vessel at once. There is nothing but waste in this place now. Come with me and, together, we can rule eternal in the name of peace. I will justly give you 3 minutes to choose correctly or perish. I look forward to seeing you soon, my children.”_

The host clone’s eyes dulled momentary and reignited in their standard green as he stepped back in line with the others.

“I want the one in the middle.” Catra growled, her lips twisting into a menacing snarl.

“Should we wait 3 minutes or…” Adora started as Catra leapt up onto the counter in front of them. “Guess not.”

In just a few quick bounds, Catra had the middle clone flat on his back. Sand and debris flew over them as they wrestled around the ground. The two other clones rounded on their heels to assist their brother in battle.

Adora and Sandra ripped through the sand, each of them tackling a clone to the floor.

Adora’s clone immediately engaged a device on its left arm, a stream of bright green light shooting from its center wildly. Adora shifted low and swept her boot in a wide circle, kicking the clone’s legs out from under him. His laser shot straight up into the sky, dangerously aimless, and flickered off.

“Hey, dummy, why don’t you try aiming that thing at an actual target?” Adora taunted as the clone sat upright in the sand.

He steadied his arm and shot the beam directly at Adora. She quickly shifted her sword in her hand as it transformed smoothly into a shield. The light bounced directly off the shield’s broad surface and back at the clone’s weapon, destroying it in a blast and knocking the clone out cold.

Adora took the opportunity to check in on the battlefield.

Sandra had her fierce jaw clamped around her clone’s arm, her tails wagging as if she enjoyed the game.

Satisfied, Adora spun around to check on Catra. She had her clone in headlock with her fingers deep its neck cavity. She yanked the electrical cords and his eyes went black.

“Got him!” She yelled in victory. She smiled at Adora through the fringe of her messy hair. “Yank the cords on yours. Let’s get this over with!”

Adora stood over her clone, brandishing her sword, just as his eyes reignited. He grabbed her behind the knees and pulled her down to the ground, spinning over top of her.

“Hi!” She grinned, unfazed by his apparent advantage, and slid her sword up through the front of his neck. The tip poked out in a mess of tech from the porthole in the base and his eyes went black.

She removed her sword and shoved her defunct clone to the side with a pleased grunt. 

“Adora!” Catra’s voice pierced through the air, fear thick on her tongue.

The last remaining clone, now missing its right arm, pointed its buzzing laser directly at Sandra, its eyes revealing Horde Prime’s presence. Sandra sat on her haunches and remained perfectly still.

_“What a shame. You have chosen incorrectly, time and time again.”_ The clone puffed out its chest, pride oozing from its visage. _“It did not have to come to this. You will waste away on this planet and the universe will forget your name. And you will know this creature’s death could have been prevented…”_

The laser buzzed loudly as it amplified its charge, but still the clone did not fire. The point of the barrel remained fixed on Sandra as the host clone stared Adora down, willing her to make the first move.

Adora caught a quick glimpse of Catra’s reflection in a glass shard as she crept silently around the courtyard, something gripped tightly in her fist.

Sandra growled at the clone; her head held low in anticipation.

“Why is it that you assholes always feel you have all the time in the world to make some big important speech? Is there an orientation somewhere to learn that ridiculously pompous move?” Adora stood at the ready, her sword raised behind her.

She hoped Prime would be distracted by her combative statement and stance.

Horde Prime’s host clone dropped their jaw for a stuttering moment. _“You dare to refer to me with profanity, you dare to—”_

All at once, Catra leapt out from behind the clone, Adora darted to the right and Sandra darted to the left.

Catra held the fang of the beast tight in her hand and shoved it with full force into the open tech port on the clone’s neck. A green laser beam blew out from its supercharged weapon, slicing up the center of the town between Adora and Sandra, and then its eyes turned pitch black.

The clone fell limp into the sand with a loud thud. The razor-sharp tooth remained firmly implanted in its neck, the saliva trickling down and eating away at the clone’s interior tech.

“It’s called hubris.” Catra walked up and over the defunct clone’s body, pressing her heel hard into its skull as she jumped off. “And it’s fucking disgusting.”

She sauntered toward Adora and Sandra, her hands still tightly clenched in fists despite a smile growing on her face.

“Oh? Hubris Prime. It suits him.” Adora laughed through the nervous breath that had been held in her chest.

“Totally.” Catra shivered, even the sound of his new nickname made her uneasy. “Wanna give me a hand?” She uncurled her fingers and held her palm up to Adora, showcasing the severe burn marks from gripping the venomous tooth.

Without hesitation, Adora slid her own hand around Catra’s, allowing her healing energy to surround the wound and soothe her pain. Sandra licked at their clasped hands, clearly determined to offer her own services.

When the process was complete, Adora settled back down to her true form and wrapped her arms around Catra and held her tight.

“Can’t. Breathe.” Catra huffed out. “If you were still She-Ra, I think I’d be crushed to death.”

Adora laughed and stepped back beside Sandra. She scratched the fuzzy alien roughly behind her pointed ears.

“Sorry. Don’t know my own strength.” She flexed playfully.

Catra seemed to enjoy it as much as she did the first time.

Sandra moved to Catra’s side and stared at her, waiting.

“She’s trying to thank you. For saving her.” Adora beamed.

Catra hesitated, then awkwardly pet the top of her head slowly. “You’re welcome… _Sandra_.”

Adora grinned and joined Catra in stroking Sandra’s fur. “And thank you, for everything. You saved us too.” She wrapped her arms around Sandra and squeezed her tight. “I wish you could come with us...”

Sandra slurped up their faces, her long purple tongue flopping lazily out of her mouth. She pressed in hard against them both for a moment before canting her big furry head toward the faint sound of chirping in the distance. Her amber eyes sparkled at Adora and Catra and then she ran off toward her oasis and her family. 

Adora watched her disappear and wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her wrist. She gripped Catra’s hand, the word _family_ circling around in her head.

“We need to hurry and get to that ship. He'll will be on to our plan.” Catra peered out through the town’s wreckage at the clone ship parked on the dunes.

“Race ya?” Adora smirked, her voice laced with a quiet hope.

*******

The ship was just as sterile and creepy as the rest of Horde Prime’s gear. A chill ran up Catra’s back as they climbed aboard. She tapped her chip roughly with her fingernails. She was ready for Entrapta to pull that sucker out when and if they reconnected.

“Now what?” Adora laughed nervously.

“I kind of have a little experience with this shit, Adora. I can handle it.” Catra tried to sound more confident than she was. “Sit back and enjoy the ride, huh?” She began punching a sequence into the control center, hoping she had learned a thing or two from spying on the clones during her capture.

Suddenly, Entrapta’s voice filled the air.

“Ooooh! Hi! Who is this?” Entrapta spoke quickly, excitedly, and maybe a little too loudly for how close she was to the comm system.

“Entrapta! It’s us!” Adora yelled over Catra.

“Who!?” Entrapta asked with absolutely no pretense.

A loud rustling and rumbling came through the speakers behind her voice.

“ADORA? CATRA? Is it really you guys??” Bow and Glimmer screamed in harmony.

Entrapta’s voice was barely audible in the background. “Ohhh, right... them! Hah!”

“No time for a reunion, kids. Give us some coordinates and we’ll come to you. We don’t have long. We’ll be tracked, for sure.” Catra was calm and collected, despite a stupid grin on her face.

Entrapta read the coordinates for Krytis aloud as Catra input the data. Adora danced around in the background, still reveling in the sound of her friends’ voices.

“Wrong Hordak says Krytis holds a hidden weakness and none of the clones are to speak of it. And they definitely aren't supposed to travel to it! So, once you are here, they won’t be able to track you!” Bow was giddy with the news. “We’re hoping to find out even more about the planet and then we’ll all go back to Etheria! Together! Best Friend Squad style!” His voice squeaked through the speaker.

“Excellent.” Catra exhaled a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. “Now say ‘goodbye’, Adora.”

She readied the autopilot for takeoff and cruise control.

“GOODBYE, ADORA!” Adora shouted into the comm system, beside herself with excitement.

The comm shut off and they buckled into place. The ship shot up into the sky, the hyperdrive set for a Krytis arrival in under 2 hours.

*******

As the ship leveled out, Catra eagerly unbuckled her seatbelt and slid into Adora’s chair with her, unlatching her safety harness in the process.

“Hey, Adora.” She growled, low and with purpose.

“Uh, hiiiii.” Adora blushed, surprised by Catra’s sudden advances, her pulse quickening.

“Wanna talk about our feelings?” Catra teased, trailing her fingernails across Adora’s chest.

She hoped Adora knew how she really felt by now. Although, she was still a little nervous about saying certain phrases out loud.

“Well…Yes.” Adora shifted Catra into her lap, regaining her composure. “But maybe…you want to show me first?”

Catra wasted no time.

Her lips met Adora’s with wet heat, her full pout greedily locking with Adora’s.

Adora slid her hands under Catra’s severely tattered shirt and pulled it over head, tossing it onto the ship’s dash. She raked her fingers down Catra’s exposed back.

“You know, that shirt kind of started this whole mess. You just had to follow me into that pod with that fresh outfit…” Catra laughed, working her own fingers under Adora’s sports bra and pulling it off in one fluid motion.

“Mmmm…” Adora hummed. “And this is you…thanking me?” She grinned while kicking off her boots, untamed desire flickering in her eyes.

They pressed their bodies together, delighting in the feeling of warm skin against soft fur.

“Something like that.” Catra purred.

She trailed her lips to Adora’s neck, nipping at her tender flesh dangerously. Adora squirmed beneath her.

The ship thrummed pleasantly around them; the stars blurred into thin white lines as they flew past them at light speed. Excited nervousness hovered thick in the cabin as they careened through infinite space with infinite possibilities before them.

Catra slid off Adora’s lap and planted herself in front of the chair, settling on her knees between Adora’s legs. She shifted Adora’s pants down her thighs and slipped them off her ankles, slowly.

Adora tried desperately to catch her breath but it was useless. The ravenous way Catra looked up at her sent a wave of throbbing anticipation throughout her body.

Catra traced the hem of Adora’s underwear with a single fingertip, lightly pressing along the warm, damp fabric between Adora’s legs. With unhurried focus, she slid her fingers under the cotton and teased through Adora’s growing wetness. 

Every point of contact lit with pleasure but Adora longed for more. Something ached deep within her, a craving so raw and laced with desire that it verged on pain. No more withholding, she needed all of Catra. Now.

“Uh…” Adora’s voice caught in her throat. She moved forward in her seat, pressing herself against Catra’s soft touch, impatience getting the best of her.

Catra raised an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised by Adora’s unashamed eagerness. 

"More?" Catra asked, her head tilted to the side.

"Mm, yes." Adora puffed out a small laugh. "Please?" She grinned down at Catra.

With a knowing smirk toying at the corner of her mouth, she slid Adora’s underwear off and then quickly disappeared between her thighs, her tongue slipping powerfully up and down Adora’s slick middle.

The rough pressure vibrated over Adora’s most sensitive spot as Catra lapped with instinctive focus. Adora rolled her hips against Catra’s rhythmic force, letting her body lead the way.

“Catra…” Adora moaned under her breath, somehow asking and telling at the same time.

Hot energy flooded Catra’s stomach and rippled throughout her body. She continued to pulse her tongue in concentrated circles, the taste of Adora’s pleasure spreading salty and sweet in her mouth.

She gripped Adora’s thighs hard, her sharp ears picking up on Adora’s increasing heart rate.

She was close.

Catra stopped, leaving a needy gasp stuck in Adora’s throat. She crawled up Adora’s body and kissed her softly on the lips, quickly sharing Adora’s taste between them, and then confidently settled back down between Adora’s thighs to finish her off.

Adora shook beneath Catra’s tongue, whimpering loudly. She locked her fingers into Catra’s hair and tugged her in closer as she came.

Thoroughly satisfied, she leaned back into her chair. A smug sigh eased from her chest.

Catra laughed coolly, wiping Adora’s excess from around her mouth. “You taste even better than I imagined you would.”

“Oh? Better _than you imagined_. So, you’ve thought about it before?” Adora teased, remembering Catra’s revealing comments about her noisiness in the desert.

“Yep.” Catra smiled proudly. No use trying to cover anything up this time, they were too far past that now. “And what? You haven’t thought about it?”

“Maybe a couple times...” Adora slid out of her chair and straddled Catra on the floor. “…a day.”

She grinned and shifted herself down Catra’s body to remove her leggings. The increasingly impatient side of Adora praised herself for forgetting to bring Catra any undergarments back when she supplied her with this outfit.

She kissed across Catra’s hips while trailing two fingers through Catra’s soaking wet cunt, quickly learning she wasn’t the only impatient one of the two.

“You are…very wet.” Adora’s voice was low and needy, the sound foreign even to her own ears.

Catra bit down on her lower lip with her sharp teeth, groaning and writhing beneath Adora’s teasing touch.

“Fuck me.” Catra panted, absolutely unable to bear the anticipation any longer.

Adora’s eyes flashed wide, her pupils engulfing her stormy blue irises.

She pressed her fingers inside of Catra while easing her mouth down between Catra’s thighs to tongue her swollen clit. She curled her fingers forward, deeper, as Catra rocked her hips up into each thrust.

Adora sucked and licked incessantly, her hot tongue tracing across Catra’s electrified nerve endings, shooting sparks with every stroke. Catra moaned and scratched her nails through the floor beneath her.

For years, Catra wanted Adora and only Adora. She had longed to be with her this way for as long as she knew what _this way_ meant. That first night in the ransacked hut on the desert planet was a tease compared to where they were now.

Here she was, in the middle of outer space, subject to Adora’s powerful tongue, her instinctive touch, her strong fingers, her soft lips. The effect was overwhelming and only increased Catra’s insatiable desire for her. She would never get enough of her, but she was excited by the prospect of trying.

Adora pulsed her tongue faster and thrust her fingers deeper, as Catra leaned forward, her muscles tightening and her body trembling.

“Adora… Right there. FUCK.” Catra growled as she finished hard at the mercy of Adora’s fingers and mouth.

The sound of Catra’s nails digging into the ship's steal rang around them as she trembled through the aftershocks.

“How many more times do you think we can do that before we reach Krytis?” Adora mumbled breathlessly, crawling up from between Catra’s legs and collapsing beside her on the ship’s floor.

“Let’s find out.” Catra purred, her hand traveling down between Adora’s thighs.

*******

Two blissfully exhausting hours later, Adora and Catra’s stolen ship pulled out of hyperdrive and prepared to enter their destination’s atmosphere.

They rushed to throw their almost unrecognizable clothes back on and settled into their seats. Their buckles clicked into place just as the ship began its dissent.

“You know, we still have a lot to talk about.” Adora laughed, glancing over at Catra.

“I know. And we will. We have time. I’m not going anywhere, remember? I promise.” Catra grimaced faintly behind a smile, still aware of her old habits blocking her from opening up completely.

Adora smiled back, picking up on Catra’s hesitation. “I remember. And I’m not afraid to remind you.”

She gripped Catra’s hand as the ship lowered onto Krytis in a flurry of debris and fog.

When the dust cleared the girls looked out the central window at four idiots jumping around in spacesuits and shaking two extra suits in their direction.

Catra sighed. “Figures. They’re already annoying me.”

“Isn’t it great?” Adora opened up the airlocked chamber. She wrapped her arm around Catra’s shoulders as her friends boarded the ship.

Glimmer and Bow ran straight to Catra and Adora and tackled them flat to the ground.

“You both look… _amazing_ , actually?” Glimmer stumbled over confusion. “Why do you look amazing?”

They all stood back up and stared each other down.

Entrapta and Wrong Hordak busied themselves exploring the ship’s bridge. Entrapta’s giddy coos echoed around the cabin.

Adora slid her hand into Catra’s and grinned at Bow and Glimmer, watching their confused expression shift into an even more confused expression.

Catra smirked, locking eyes with Glimmer. They exchanged a knowing but hesitant nod. 

“Um. Yeah. Okay…” Bow watched the silent exchange, shuffling awkwardly before rebuilding his usual perky confidence. “The best friend squad is back in action and we’re going to save Etheria!”

He wrapped everyone in hug and called Entrapta and Wrong Hordak into the mix.

The group ran through a quick series of events, catching one another up on their harrowing adventures. Their voices overlapped in a cacophony of unbelievably terrifying and thrilling stories. 

Catra seized the distraction and quietly led Entrapta away from the huddle for a well-meaning yet awkward apology. Entrapta was quick to accept in an equally well-meaning yet awkward fashion. She was far too excited to remove Catra’s chip to linger too long on the details of their past transgressions.

Entrapta’s bedside manner wasn’t her strong suit, but the removal was a quick success. Catra’s expletives rang through the ship as the last neon cable was snipped.

“The spacesuit I made for you will cover the wound while it heals, although you will have a fascinating scar.” Entrapta passed Catra the suit, watching her tenderly rub around the back of her neck. “AND you helmet is shaped especially for your ears but that is more form than function.” She grinned.

“Thanks.” Catra muttered. “…Seriously.”

“No, thank you!” And with that, Entrapta walked away abruptly, still inspecting Catra’s chip between her fingers.

With the long-awaited surgery complete, Adora and Catra donned their custom spacesuits and readied themselves to set foot on yet another foreign planet. True freedom dangled dangerously before them, just out of reach.

“Ready to save the world?” Adora squeezed Catra’s hand and kissed the corner of her mouth.

“If you keep that up, I’ll do anything you say.” Catra leaned her forehead against Adora's.

“Somehow I don’t believe that, but I think it’s kind of romantic that, in this moment, you do.” Adora laughed.

“Stop flirting and put your helmets on!” Glimmer shouted across the bridge, motioning to her watch.

“Geez.” She huffed and looked back at Bow. “This is going to be worse than when they hated each other, isn’t it?”

“Oh, definitely." A smile spreading across his face. "Yep. Way worse.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Birthday to Catra!


End file.
